The Amendment of Life, Book 2 · Chapter 14
Of exceſſe and ſuperfluitie in feaſtes and banquets. Chap. 24
NOw let vsus ſpeake of banquets. No man can in theſe daies make a feaſt without exceſſe, and that exceſſe muſt bee alſo reproued and repreſented to the hoſt by ſome one of the companie, euen of thoſe that profeſſe the religion: yet ordinarily in ſuch ſort, as the hoſt accompteth it as a commendation of his magnificence & plentie. As alſo if he that ſemeth to find the fault, chance afterward to make another, it ſhal likewiſe be ſuch, as he likewiſe wil looke for the like cenſure, which hee alſo will take to redound to the praiſe of his liberalitie and plentie. Hereto hauehave relation all excuſes of meane entertainment, and deſire to take patience, euen in a feaſt that ſloweth with all dainties, and are motioned onelyonly to miniſter occaſion to the gueſts to ſay that there is but ouer much, and by ſuch a cenſure to get the commendation of plentie and liberality. Thus each man reprouing and accuſing other of exceſſe, no man ſheweth any Amendement. Yet let vsus not thinke but theſe pettie cenſures, proceeding either of worldly ciuilitie and ſlatterie, or of Chriſtian admonition, are ſo many ſentences giuen by our owne mouthes, which ſhall be laide before vsus in the daie of iudgement to our condemnation. God hath ordained meate and drinke for two principall purpoſes. Firſt to nouriſh and relieue vsus, to the end that thereby recouering new ſtrength and force (which fitly is called refection) wee may eueryevery man applie our ſelues to that ſeruice whereto he hath called vsus: But our banquets contrariwiſe doe returne vsus vnprofitable, as growing ſo dull and heauie by our long ſittinges and plentie, that wee are fitter and more readie to ſleepe like hogges, then as Chriſtians prouided to follow our vocations: eſpecially to heere or reade Gods worde, or to tend to prayers and meditation. And thus in our banquete we take not our refection but deſtruction. If a horſe by eating too many Oates ſhould grow heauie and ſlacke to goe or drawe, wee woulde beware of giuing him too much, leaſt wee ſhoulde both looſe our prouender and weaken our horſe: Euen ſo in meate and drinke and long ſittinges, if the plentie make vsus heauie and ſlow in our vocations, namely in the ſeruice of God, we hauehave iuſt cauſe to cut it off, and ſo to take away the abuſe which is eſpecially hurtfull and to be condemned.
2 If our ſtudies were as much applyed to make our feaſts, as ſober and ſimple, as they are plentifull and delicious, both our bodies would be better at eaſe, our ſoules more readie to their actions, and our ſelues better able to relieue the poore. And indeede euen in dutie we are bounde to leane more to ſobrietie then to ſuperfluitie and exceſſe: to vertue then to vice: and to remember the ſaying of Iuſtine to this purpoſe,Iuſtine lib. 20 Frugalitie is the mother and nurſe to all vertue. Yet doe our aboundaunce of dainties, our diuerſitie of meates, and our inuentions of new ſauces and wantonneſſe declare the contrarie: So that now it will aske more time to learne to be a good cooke to make the body ſicke, then to be a Doctor of Phyſicke to miniſter health. We reprooue ſuch women as to the end to ſeeme more beautifull and to allure mens fancies, doe paint themſelues: Yet wee commend ſuch cookes as can make diuerſitie of ſauces to prouoke appetite to meate. Do we feare eating too litle & an appetite accompanied with health? There was neuer man that repented his being ſober, but many their eating and drinking too much. The beſt is therefore to vſe common and groſſe meate, for that is eaſieſt gotten, ſooneſt and with leaſt labour made readie, of loweſt price, nothing ſo hurtfull, and ſuch as wee eate not much off. The Romaines did eate either in publique, or with their doores open, that eueryevery man might be a witneſſe of their frugalitie.
3 The ſecond purpoſe and vſe of foode is, to procure vsus to prayſe and glorifie God for his goodneſſe and liberalitie towards vsus. And therefore Saint Paule ſaith. Whether wee eate, or wether we drinke, 1. Cor. 10.31,or whatſoeuer wee doe, let vsus doe all to the honour and glorie of God. But to the contrarie, which of vsus when we taſt the ſauour of meate or drinke, is in heart mooued to ſay with Dauid, O Lord thou art good and gracious? Pſal. 119.68.In how many of our feaſtes doe wee take occaſion or argument to enter into the acknowledgement or diſcourſe, of the goodneſſe, ſweetneſſe, or power of God, the auctor of all goodneſſe? Plutarck reporteth, that a certaine nation called Siborites,Plu. in his banquets of the 7. Sages. did vſually inuite Ladies to their feaſts a yeere before hand, to the end that they might hauehave time to prouide themſelues to come honourably, or rather in great pompe. But it were fitter, ſaith he, when we are inuited to a banquet, in time to prepare to come prouided of ſpeech, and honeſt, profitable and conuenient communication. If this conſideration coulde take place in a heathen Philoſopher, what a ſhame is it for vsus Chriſtians to come into companie and feaſtes vnprouided of ſuch holie and vertuous talke, as might tend to Gods glorie and the edefying of the aſsiſtants? And indeede the ſauce of Chriſtian banquets ought to conſiſt of wiſe, vertuous and holie diſcourſes. But our want of inſtruction, and the ſtarued affection of our hartes to vertue, doe cauſe vsus to conſume our time at banquets either in vaine talke or in vrging our gueſts to eate and drinke. Xenophon and other Philoſophers were of opinion, that it were good and profitable to collect & note downe al table talke. If Chriſtians, yea euen our ſelues that profeſſe the reformed religiō,Plut. in his Syme. lib. 1, ſhold put this in practiſe, what ſhould we find in ſuch regiſters? Words and diſcourſes which the next day would be found vnworthy our vtterance, euen ſuch as euen worldlings would be aſhamed of. So long as the Chruch continued vnderunder the croſſe, at eueryevery feaſt the table talke conſiſted of holy communication, & queſtions of edificatiō. But now ſuch diſcourſes are odious & anoy vsus. Ther is now no newes but of mery ſē tences, ſauoring ſomtimes too much both of the world & ye fleſh.
Plutarch in the banquet of the 7. ſages.4 The Egyptians in their banquets cōmonly exhibited that which they called Scelet, in which word they ſignified the bones of man dryed, ioyned & knite together: and thereby admoniſhed the aſſiſtants, that within ſome ſhorttime themſelues ſhould bee like to the ſame. This truly was a meanes to reſtraine thē from vſing their food with exceſſe or vaine ſpeeches. At Metz in Lorraine they hauehave a cuſtome, that at marriage feaſts the hangman in perſon cō meth to demand a diſh of meat. And this at ſuch feaſts miniſtreth occaſion to talke of death, & of vertuous life. To many men theſe cuſtomes may ſeeme bitter and not fit for banquets: but if we wiſt how ready we are to too much mirth & to offending of God in our banquets, we would confeſſe that our diſeaſes do require ſuch Phiſicke. Iobs children were well taught & inſtructed, yet no doubt at their banquets one to another, whereto they inuited their ſiſters,Iob, 1. they could not beare themſelues ſo ſoberly and modeſtly as were to be wiſhed: Yet their father Iob, a man that feared God, ſent vntounto them and purified them, and riſing earely offered ſacrifice according to their number, ſaying in himſelfe. Mat. 12.36.It may bee my ſonnes hauehave ſinned and blaſphemed God in their harts. Thus did Iob eueryevery day. And vndoubtedly we alſo do diuerſly and in ſundry maners offend God in our feaſtes, if it be but in a number of vaine friuolous ſpeeches, of the which wee muſt giuegive accompt in the day of iudgement.
5 We are moreouer for feare of offending God in our feaſts,Plu. in his banquet of 7. Sages. to ſtand vponupon our guard leaſt we there meete with diſſolute perſons. Chylon, one of the ſeuen Sages of Greece had ſuch a regard hereto that when he was inuited to any feaſt, he would neuer promiſe to come before he knew who ſhould be there. For, ſaid he, of neceſsitie a man muſt light vponupon ſuch cōpanie as in a ſhip, or in the wars: yet is it not the part of a wiſe man voluntarily at feaſtes to medle with any, whoſoeuer. In like maner we reade that Antigonus the ſonne of Demetrius, being inuited to a banquet, at the which hee knew there ſhould be ſome inſolent & light women, asked the aduice of the Philoſopher Menedemus, who anſwered only that hee ſhold remēber that he was a kings ſon: by that ſaying admoniſhing him to refraine and beware of all vnhoneſt companie & occaſion of euill. How much rather ought wee, who are the children of the king of heauen & earth, to remember to refraine frō banquets or any other cōpanie, wher ther may be cauſe of riot & vnthriftines.
6 Why? Will ſome men ſay, is it not lawfull at feaſtes to hauehave any talke but of God, or to vſe any communication but of religion? There is great difference betweene euer and neuer. Men vſe to water their wine for feare of drunkennes, and put ſalt in their meate to ſeaſon it: euen ſo muſt our ſpeeches ſauour of ſobrietie & Chriſtian reformatiō: We may reioice together, yet in the Lord & in al modeſty, beſeeming the childrē of God. Beſides in our plenty we muſt remember the poore, and the ſaying of Ieſus Chriſt to this purpoſe, GiueGive Almes of thoſe thinges which you hauehave, and all things ſhall bee cleane vntounto yow: Luk. 11.41.Thereby declaring that the meate, at our feaſts and other al our goods ſhall be vntounto vsus vncleane, vnleſſe during ſuch plentie wee take care of the poore to releeue their neceſsities, by cutting off of our ſuperfluitie to helpe their miſerie. In the daies of Aſſuerus, King of Perſia, when Haman had obtained and publiſhed a decree, whereby all the Iewes that dwelt within the ſeuen and twentie prouinces of the Kinges dominions, ſhould the thirteenth day of the twelfth month hauehave beene ſlaughtered: God by his wonderfull prouidence reuerſed that bloudie decree vponupon Haman, his children and their adherentes that hated the Iewes. And ſuch was this victorie and deliueraunce,Eſter, 9.22. that Heſter and Mardocheus ordained in remembraunce of ſo great a benefite, that among all other matters yeerelie the fourtenth and fiftenth of this month ſhould be ioyful and feaſtiuall daies, wherein they ſhould ſend giftes to the poore, that they together with the rich might all reioyce in the Lord. Among the Romaines they had one law which inuiolably they obſerued, namely, that no man ſhould make any publique feaſt before hee had prouided for the poore in his quarter. Where Ieſus Chriſt ſayth,Luk. 14.13. When thou makeſt a feaſt, call the poore, the naked, the blinde and the lame, and thou ſhalt be bleſſed, becauſe they cannot recompence thee: for thou ſhalt be recompenced at the reſurrection of the iust. Hee thereby ſheweth, that inuiting thoſe that inuite vsus, wee reape a ſimple reward for our paines and expences in our feaſts: For our payment is but, I thank you, or a dinner, or a ſupper: But contrariwiſe when we giuegive to the poore, euerie dinner and ſupper is a treaſure in heauen. Yet are we not forbidden to inuite thoſe that are able to requite vsus: But Ieſus Chriſt teacheth vsus that it is a wiſer way to beſtow the charges of our feaſt vpō the reliefe of the poor, for where they want wherewith to requite vsus, we know that Ieſus Chriſt hath promiſed to recompence vsus in heauen.
7 To this purpoſe are we to remember that wee are not Lordes, but ſtewardes of the goods which wee hauehave receiued, vponupon condition to render accompt to him that ſeeth all, and moſt carefully commendeth to vsus the feeding of the poore. And therfore it is not lawfull for vsus to ſpend ſo much as wee liſt, but ſo much as we imagine in our perticuler of expences ſhall bee alowed in the recorde of the liuing Lorde. Del…uering to thy ſeruaunt three or ſower buſhels of ſalt, is it to the end ſhe ſhould put the more into the pot and ſo by caſting in of whole handfuls ouer ſalt theyr pottage? Yet the reprouing of her, and ſaying that thy meaning was that ſhee ſhould take ſo much as was requiſite ſufficiently to ſeaſen thy meate, will redound to thy condemnation. In this pointe may the heathen make vsus aſhamed. Agaſicles being demanded wherefore he liued ſo ſparingly, conſidering his plentie of goods, aunſwered that hee who is able, muſt not ſpend according to his luſtes or couetouſneſſe, but in reaſon, and as neede requireth. The Lacedemonian feaſts were ſo wel ordered, that they were termed ſcholes of ſobrietie and abſtinence: But ſuch are the feaſts of Chriſtians, that leſſe then the reuerſion might ſuffice the whole companie, which notwithſtanding, we ſuffer the poore to ſtarue, who might be well fed with the ſuperfluitie thereof.Plu. in his banquets of the 7. Sages. Plutarch writeth that Perianders feaſt to the ſeuen Sages was moderate, and more ſober then this ordinarie diet, becauſe hee had inuited wiſe men. Much rather ſhoulde our banquetes, whereto wee inuite the children of God and profeſſors of reformation bee ſober and moderate, to the end that the companie of honeſt and vertuous perſonages (as Diocles one of the ſame ſeuen euen there noted) ſhoulde bee no encreaſe, but rather a deminiſhing of expenſes.
8 Some men, to excuſe their aboundaunce in banquetes, doe aledge cuſtome. But cuſtome contrarie to reaſon is a tyraunt, who to get dominion reuerſeth all law. Others will demaund, who ſhall firſt beginne to breake the cuſtome of exceſſe and ſuperfluitie? But men ſhould enquire who ſhall firſt leaue wickedneſſe and doe well, and while others continue in euill, deferre to doe good? In a caſe of miſchiefe or wickedneſſe wee are not ſo long in deliberating: Wee neuer tarrie for another to beginne: Wee make poſt haſt to euill. If a man ſpeake of worldly gaine, eueryevery man will be foremoſt, but if of loſſe, laſt. Yet in profiting the ſoule, wee tarrie for another to beginne.
9 Beſides,Ephe. 5.16. we are in theſe long ſittings to conſider the loſſe of time: for Saint Paul to the contrarie commandeth vsus to redeeme time. But how? By forſaking the luſtes of the fleſh, that wee may the better and the rather employ our ſelues in our vocation. If ſitting at ſuch long feaſts we would enter into meditation, and think that we ſit there in the preſence of God, who beholdeth how vnprofitably we waſt time, which is ſo precious, glutted with delicacie when many others ſtarue for hunger, we would be euen aſhamed, and ſay, what doe we here? Doth this life beſeeme the children of God? Doe we thus watch for death and the day of iudgement? Likewiſe, albeit the ſoule bee not fed with paſt three or fower Sermons in a weeke while the bodie hath at the leaſt fourteene yet will we complaine of the preacher if he ſtand aboue his houre: and neuer finde fault with a feaſt that laſteth fower or fiue: For cuſtome and inclination breedeth content. It would be thought ſtrange, if a man to a feaſt ſhould bring his black hower glaſſe for a full end, as he muſt to a Sermon.
10 Some excuſes men will aledge, yet grounded likewiſe vponupon vice. And indeede this obſtinate continuance in exceſsiue and ſumptuous banquets proceedeth of the ambition and vaine glorie before mentioned. Euerie man ſeeketh to make ſhew of his riches and liberalitie aboue his companion. No man will remaine endebted to him that inuiteth him to a feaſt. Euerie one thinketh that he ſhall be noted of pouertie or pinching, if he do not as an other man. But why ſhould he not rather looke to bee reputed ſober, a reformer, a man willing to giuegive example to others, to chaunge vice into vertue?Po…tius Cato Liuie. lib. 34. A certaine heathen ſayth, Where there is a law for ſobrietie and modeſtie which a man obſerueth, it is not to bee imputed to pouertie, couetouſneſſe, or ſparing, but to obedience and obſeruation of the law. How much rather ought wee Chriſtians, whome God by ſo manie preceptes and decrees hath commaunded to keepe modeſtie and ſobrietie, conſtantly to reiect ſuch reproches of the world and the fleſh, and to bee content with the teſtimonie of our owne conſciences, that our modeſtie and ſobrietie proceedeth from the feare of God and a feeling of our owne duties, which bindeth vsus to yeeld obedience to his ordinances? But we cannot reſolue ſo to doe? Why? Becauſe that ſtill wee will ſeeme better then other men, greater then wee are and of more abilitie then wee may beare. Oh curſed ambition and pride? Which to maintaine, wee doe reiect the will of God, wee offend our neighbours and wee, neglect the releefe of the poore. If thou ſayeſt, thou art able: Remember that thy abilitie commeth of God, who hath not giuen it thee to boaſt of, but that thy plentie may bee an argument to releeue thoſe that neede: and to magnifie the riches of the goodneſſe and power of God to his glorie.
11 Well doe wee confeſſe that God aloweth vsus to feaſt, and thereof we hauehave examples in the holie Scriptures: neither doe wee reſtraine men to bread and water, or halfe an howers reſpite: God hath created meate and drinke to bee vſed. Yet (that according to the exhortation of Ieſus Chriſt, wee may Amend our liues) it muſt bee in ſobrietie and modeſtie. They muſt bee powdered with, Chriſtian ſpeeches and diſcourſes beſeeming Gods children. There muſt bee no exceſſe either in plentie, in delicacie, either in long ſitting. Wee muſt remember the needie and ſuch as are in tribulation.Amos. 61 Our gueſtes muſt bee ſuch as to maintaine amitie and to take occaſion to prayſe God. To conclude, the roote of ambition that lurketh therein, muſt bee plucked vp, that contrariwiſe in the aboundaunce of Gods benefites wee may confeſſe his liberalitie to his glorie. Let vsus not expect others to bee examples of our duties: but let vsus purchaſe this holie glorie in the ſight of God, to bee the firſt that through his grace ſhall reforme our ſelues in practiſe of the ſaying of Dauid, O Lorde I hauehave made haſt, Pſal. 119.60.and delayed not to keepe thy commaundementes.