CHAP. I. The Description of a Fast, giuen by Popish Doctors.

THe first point considerable, is, How the Church of Rome doth describe a Fast; or wherein the nature of a Fast, according to their doctrine, doth consist. The answere where­to is to bee fetched from their owne words and writings. And from thence for this purpose I note these 2. things.

1. They distinguish the seuerall sorts of fast­ing, that it may be knowne what kind of Fast it is, whereof they speake. So Bellarmine doth; Accipitur vox [ieiunium] qua­tuor modis, &c. Bellar. de bon. oper. in partie. l. 2. cap. 1. §. I­gitur nomen. This [Page 3]word [Iejunium] or a Fast, saith he, is taken foure waies, out of which doe arise, as it were, foure sorts of Fasts; 1. a spirituall Fast, 2. a morall Fast, 3. a naturall Fast, and 4. an Ecclesiasticall Fast. The spirituall Fast is an abstinence from sinne: The morall is temperance and sobriety in dyet: The naturall is an abstinence from all meat and drinke: And the Ecclesiasticall is such an abstinence as the Church doth prescribe. And of this last kinde of Fast only, is all the question in this place. Thus, or to this effect, speaketh Bellarmine. And to the same purpose, but more distinctly, speaketh Grego­rie de Valentia, another Iesuite: Greg. de Valentia in se­cundā secūdae, Disput. 9. q. 2. punct. 1. in in­itio. pa. 1751. A. The Schoole-Do­ctors (saith he) doe vse to distinguish of foure kindes of Fasts. The first is called jeiunium generale, a ge­nerall Fast, which is an abstinence from all vnlawfull pleasures, or sinfull delights. The second is called jeiunium naturae seu naturale; a naturall Fast, which consisteth in an vtter abstinence from meat & drinke, in the sence that he is said to be fasting, who hath ta­ken no meate or drinke at all, that day. The third kinde may be called jeiunium morale, a morall Fast, which consisteth in a right and moderate vse of meate and drinke, according to the rules of sobrietie or tem­perance. The fourth kinde is jeiunium aliud quod­dam peculiare, a certaine peculiar kinde of fasting, which is not to be vsed of all men, nor at all times; and it consisteth both in a longer forbearing of meate and drinke, then the common rule of temperance doth re­quire; and also in a more sparing and strict or rigid vse of meate and drinke, then is necessarie by the com­mon rules of sobriety. And this kinde of abstinence [Page 4] is most properly called a Fast: and is that (saith he) which is commended in Scriptures, and acknowledged by Caluin and Kemnitius. And when it is kept by the rule and prescript of the Church, it is called by the Schoole-Doctors, jeiunium Ecclesiasticum seu sacrum, the Churches Fast, or an holy Fast. And this is it which all sides doe meane, when they intreate or dispute of a Christian Fast. And to like purpose speake others of them; whom I shall not need to alledge: because by this that hath beene said out of these two learned Iesuites, it is euident, what they meane by the name of a Fast, namely this Fast of the Church, or this peculiar and straite kinde of abstinence and fasting, as it is prescribed and practised by the Church.

2. Secondly, hauing distinguished the kindes of fasting, and thence singled out that which fit­ted their purpose, in the next place they doe de­scribe or declare the nature of this Ecclesiasticall Fast, and tell vs what are the essentiall or necessary properties of it. And for this purpose, Bellarmine defineth this Fast to be Bellarm. de bonis oper. in partic. l. 2. c. 1. §. Ieiunium Ecclesiast. Abstinentia cibi, secun­dùm Ecclesiae regulam assumpta; an abstinence from meate, vndertaken according to the rule of the Church, or that rule, which the Church doth prescribe to be obserued in a Fast. And the things required by the Churches rule, he Ibid. §. vlt. telleth vs, are three: 1. Vt qui jeiunat, semel tantùm in die cibum sumat; That he who fasteth, doe take meate but once onely in the day. 2. Vt vna illa refectio sit coena, non prandi­um; that that one meale or refection be a supper, not a dinner. 3. Vt habeatur ciborum delectus; that [Page 5]there bee obserued a choise of meates, especially that men forbeare flesh, when they fast according to the Or­ders of the Church. Thus Bellarmine. And Valen­tia hee noteth Lo. citat. pag. 1753. C. 3. things as essentiall to this Fast: 1. Quòd per illud diutiùs quàm exigit cōmunis regula temperantiae, abstinetur à cibo; that men doe then forbeare meate longer then the common rule of tempe­rance doth require. 2. Quòd in ipso vsu cibi, abstine­tur à quibusdam escis, &c. that when men doe eate, they abstaine from some certaine meates, flesh, eggs, and milke-meates. 3. Quòd hujusmodi abstinentia, tum quoad diuturnitatem, tum etiam quoad ciborum qualitatem, ordinatur ad finem ipsum temperantiae, qui est edomatio carnis, & refraenatio concupiscentiae; that this abstinence, both for the continuance of it, and for the quality of the meate at the end of it, bee refer­red and ordained for the taming of the flesh, and the bridling of lust, that it doe not too violently withstand reason. These things Valentia requireth, & thence frameth an essentiall definition of a Fast, consisting on these three things, as the essentiall parts or properties of it. And Pisanus, another Iesuite, a­greeing with his fellowes for the substance, de­scribeth this kinde of Fast thus; Est igitur ie­iuniū abstinentia quaedam arctior, qua home ab om­nibus cibis, aut saltem à quibus­dam lautioribus se abstinet, qua et semel duntaxat in die, nempe post consuetam pran­dtorū horam cor­pus reficit Pisan. de Abstinent. ca. 1. pa. 98. It is a straiter kinde of abstinence, [to wit, then the rules of tem­perance doe require] by which a man doth forbeare all meates, or at least some of the finer or more dainty meates; in which abstinence also he doth feede or re­fresh his body but once onely in the day, namely, after the accustomed houre of dinner. Thus hee; and so doe others moe; who though they may vary in their manner of speech, or in some circumstanciall [Page 6]point, yet doe for the most part speake in the like manner, of the nature of this Fast, as these three Iesuites doe.

In which sayings and Descriptions of theirs, I desire the Reader to take notice of two things by the way, which being well remembred, may serue for further vse hereafter.

1. That these Descriptions are in part so fitted to their owne Fasts, as that they disagree with the Fasts both mentioned in Scriptures, and practised in the Primitiue Church: as when they define a Fast to be an abstinence from meat onely: for so it is vsed in the Church of Rome: but it was not so in the ancient Church of God. For the practice of Gods people in the Scriptures, and of the an­cient Fathers in the Primitiue Church, was as well to forbeare drinke as meate, during the time of their abstinence: as heereafter may appeare more fully.

2. That these Descriptions of a Fast, are in o­ther things so fitted to the practice of Antiquitie, that they doe condemne the Fasts of the Romane Church: as for example, When they say, that in an holy Fast, men must haue but one refection, and that must be a supper, not a dīner; & that both their abstinence, and their choise of meates when they eate, must be such, as may tame the flesh, and bri­dle the lusts of it. For all these things are most true in true and sincere Fasts, such as the Scriptures doe commend, and the ancient Church did pra­ctise; but in Popish Fasts they finde no place at all: as shall be manifest (God willing) in the due place.

And the reason of this medley or mixture of ancient and latter customes in their definition of a Fast, I take to be this; because our new Roman Doctors doe so describe fasting, as their elder Schoole-Doctors, Thomas and Hales, had done before them: and these men did so describe a Fast, as the Romane Church did then practice and prescribe it. And their custome then was, to drinke at all times, but not to eate saue once in the day, and not sooner then three of the clocke in the afternoone. For as for the noone-tide dinner, and the euening Collation, things now allowable in a Popish Fast, they are abuses of later times, since Hales and Thomas were departed this life. And this shall suffice to be said of the first point, namely how the Romane Church doth define a religious Fast.

CHAP. II. Choise of meates in a Popish Fast.

OF the fiue particulars, the first is, their choise of meates. Concer­ning which, I note these things for the present purpose.

I. They doe not require in any Fast of theirs, a totall absti­nence from all meate and drinke. For first they define Ieiunium est abstmentia quae dam ar [...]ior, quae homo ab omnibus cibis, aut saltem à quibusdam lau­tioribus se absti­net, &c. Pisan. de Abstinent. cap. 1. pag. 98. a Fast to be an abstinence from all meates, or at least from the more delicate or dainty meates. In which speech I note two things. 1. That they al­low a totall abstinence in Fasts: and therefore the Fasts in the reformed Churches are in this respect warrantable, euen our enemies being Iudges. 2. That in their Fasts it is held sufficient abstinence, if a man forbeare some meates, though he feede on others. Secondly, they allow men any sort of drinke in the time of their fasting. For, De cibi tan­tum, non de po­eûs abstinentia datum est praecep­eum ecclesiasticū. Reginal. prax. fori Poenitent. l. 4. num. 173. pag. 155. the precept of the Church for fasting, was made and meant of absti­nence from meate onely, and not from drinke; saith Reginaldus. And Azorius, Ecclesiae ieiu­niun est, quo non à potione, sed à cibo abstinemus. Azor. Instit. part. 1. l. 7. c. 8. pa. 555. 1. Io­seph. Angles Flor. in 4. Sen­tentiarū, part. 1. de Iejunio, q. 9. Difficult. 2. pag. 433. Alij (que) passim. The Fast of the Church (saith he) is that, in which wee doe abstaine, not from drinke, but from meate. And by this it appeareth, that they do not require a totall abstinence in their Fasts, either from all meates, or from any drinke.

II. They doe allow of wine, hot waters, and a­ny other strong drinkes on their fasting day. So [Page 9] Azorius saith, Consentiens est opinio, potion [...] vini, fiue manè ante prandium, siue post prandi [...] vesperè ieiunium non soluere. Azo. Instit. part. 1. l. 7. c. 10. q. 7. pag. 562. It is an vniforme opinion of Diuines and Canonists, that the drinking of Wine, whether it be in the morning before dinner, or after dinner in the euening, doth not breake a mans fast. And so say o­thers also: but it will be needlesse to alledge them, seeing the Iesuite saith, that it is an opinion, in which they generally agree.

III. They allow Electuaries and spices, and whatsoeuer else doth principally serue to helpe in­firmitie, or to further digestion. So Lessius saith, Insertur se­cundò non probi­beri vsum Ele­ctuariorum & conditerum, &c. Less. de Iust. & Iure, l. 4. c. 2. nu. 10. pag. 719. that the vse of Electuaries and condited things is not forbidden in the time of a Fast. And Reginal­dus, hauing said that a man breaketh not his Fast by drinking, addeth, Nec etiam frangitur sumpts one Electuariorū, nisi sumantur in fraudem ieiunij. Reginald. l. 4. nu. 173. pa. 155. v. Bellar. de Ieiun. cap. 1. pag. 168, 169. Neither is the Fast broken by taking of Electuaries. And because no man should be ignorant how farre they stretch the vse of this word, he saith, they meane by it, N̂ec itêm E­lectuariae. Quo nomine Palud. ipse quid intelli­gat, exprimit his verbis; Dico an­tem omnia buius­modi, quae consis­euerunt, sicut spe­cies, sumi post prandium ad in­uandam digestionem, &c. Reginald. l. 4. num. 152. pag. 151. all manner of things which are vsed, as spices are, to bee eaten after meales, to helpe digestion. And to like purpose Io­sephus Angles, Ea, quae per modum medicinae tradisolent, quanquam saepe accipiantur, Ecclesiae ieiunium minime soluunt. Haec con­clusio intelligitur non solum de syrupis & pharmacis, verum etiam de quibuscun (que) alijs condimē ­ti [...] & Electuarijs, quae verè per modum medicinae assumūtur, &c. Ioseph. Angles in 4. Sen­cent. part. 1. q. 9. art. 2. Difficult. 3. pag. 434. Those things (saith he) which are giuen by way of medicine, though they bee often taken on a fasting day, doe not breake the Fast of the Church. He addeth, that this Conclusion is not only meant of syrups and physicall druggs, but also of all other preserued things and electuaries, which are truly taken by way of medicine. Besides, in their Fasts, they say, that abstinence from meate onely is requi­red, not from drinke nor medicine. And what they meane by these words, they explaine in this man­ner: [Page 10] Id quod prin­cipaliter institutū est ad nutritionē, dicitur cibus: — id verò quod principaliter facit ad bonam nutri­menti dispositio­nem [...] & ciborum digeflionem, vo­catur potus: & id quod principa­liter est contra morbos,—voca­tur medicina. Reginald. l. 4. nu. 125. p. 147. That which is principally ordained for nou­rishment, that is called Meate; that which is prin­cipally for the good disposition of the foode, and the digestion of meates, that is called Drinke; and that which is principally against diseases and infirmities, that is called Medicine. And so in the conclusi­on, Spicerie, Confections, Electuaries, Preserues, and such like Iuncates, commonly vsed at the end of meales, these they approue as lawfull and warant­able enough, without any danger of breaking their Fast, though they bee vsed many times in one day, and without any iust cause of infirmity in the partie that taketh them: for by their doctrine, if the things so taken be ordinarily meant for drinke or medicine, they may lawfully bee vsed by any man, whether for this or for other ends.

IIII. Though Secunda pro­positio est, in Quadragesimali ieiunio prohibitū esse non tantùm carnium vsum, sed etiam eorum quae ex carne ori­ginem habent; vt lactis, butyri, casei, ouorum: in alijs autem ie­iunijs, prohibitū tantùm esse car­nium vsum. Re­ginald. l. 4. nu. 144 pag. 150. in Lent time, they forbid the vse of eggs, cheese, butter, &c. yet in other Fasts, the vse of flesh onely is forbidden by their Lawes. So Reginaldus saith, and he giueth this reason for it; because non datur in lure textus, there is no Text in the Law, to forbid other meates in their ordinarie Fasts. And to like purpose others of them speake also; vnlesse (as some adde) the custome of some place doe perhaps require more then the Canon of the Church doth. And so, when all is laid together, it is cleare, that the Church of Rome in her ordinary Fasts, doth forbid no other meate but flesh onely; and in her strictest Fasts, alloweth the best wines, and the finest juncates, and the hot­test spices, and whatsoeuer else is of the like nature. And this is it which they teach for their choise of meates.

But heerein they swarue not a little, both from the practice of Antiquitie, and the right vses of a religious Fast. And first, that they swarue from the practise of Antiquitie, recorded as well in the Scriptures, as in the writings of the ancient Fa­thers, may appeare by these two considerations. 1. That the Ancients, during the time of their ab­stinence, did forbeare all as well drinke as meate, not allowing themselues for that time any kinde of sustenance. To this purpose it is that Moses his Fast in the Mount is thus described; He was there with the Lord fortie dayes and forty nights, hee did neither eate bread, nor drinke water. Exod. 34.28. and Deut. 9.9, 18. And so, when Dauid fasted for Abner, So doe God to me, (saith he) and more also, if I taste bread or ought else till the Sunne be downe. 2. Sam. 3.35. And when Esther appointed the Iewes to fast, Fast ye for me (said she) and neither cate nor drinke three daies, night nor day. Esther 4.16. And the King of Niniueh proclaiming a pub­like Fast through the Citie, Let neither man nor beast, (said he) heard nor flocke taste any thing: let them not feede, nor drinke water. Ion. 3.7. Nor can there be found any example in the Scriptures, in which any drinke was vsed or allowed during their fasting day, till euentide, when their Fast broke vp. For as for that place of Daniel, where he saith of himselfe, I was mourning three full weekes: I ate no pleasant bread, neither came flesh nor wine in my mouth, &c. Dan. 10.2, 3. which the Doctors of Rome doe so frequently vrge for their choise of meates, it maketh nothing for the [Page 12]purpose. For Daniel did not fast with those meats, but rather broke his Fast with them: I meane, that Daniels Fast was a totall abstinence from all meat and drinke for the whole day; and the course fare there spoken of, was the diet that hee vsed at night, when his dayes Fast was ended: as I haue proued Treatise of Fasting, cap. 1. else-where. And as this was the practice of holy men in Scriptures, so the like was the practice of religious men mentioned in anci­ent Writers. Eusebius relating the History of cer­taine religious men about Alexandria in Egypt, telleth out of Philo, Cibum aut potionem ante so­lis occasum nemo illorum capit. Eu­seb. Hist. l. 2. c. 16. that none of them did take any either meate or drinke before the Sunne setting. And Cassian prescribing rules of abstinence for the reli­gious men of his time, Hanc inpri­mis cautionem si­bimet indicat, vt non potûs quic­quam, non osûs vlla oblectatione deuictus, ante fla­tionem legitimā, communem (que) re­fectionis horam, extra mensam percipere sibimet prorsus indul­geat. Cassian. Institut. l. 5. cap. 20. p. 216. Let euery one (saith hee) impose vpon himselfe this caution, that he doe not any way permit himselfe to taste any drinke or meate, be­fore the set time of fasting be accomplished, and the vsuall houre of feeding be come. By all which it may appeare, that the ancient custome of Gods seruants in their Fasts was, to forbeare all, as well drinke as meate, during the time of their absti­nence. Secondly, It is to be considered, that the Ancients, when they did refresh themselues on their fasting daies, which was in the euening, they vsed not wines, nor spices, nor juncates, but course and vnpleasant fare, such as might at once both refresh nature and afflict it. So Daniel spea­king of his diet, while the daies of his fasting con­tinued, saith of himselfe, Dan. 10.3. I ate no pleasant bread, neither came flesh nor wine in my mouth. Where we may note, that Daniel vpon his fasting dayes ab­stained [Page 13]as well from strong drinke and fine bread, as he did from flesh. And therefore, as before I shewed that this place doth make nothing for Po­pish choise of meates; so heereby it appeareth, that it doth vtterly ouerthrow it. And so in the anci­ent Church of Christ, St. Hierom teaching Nepo­tianus the true properties of an holy Fast, Sint tibi pu­ra, casta, simpli­cia, moderata, & non superstitiosa iciunia. Quid prodest oleo non vesci, & molesti­as quasdam diffi­cultates (que) ciborū quaerere, caricas, piper, nuces, pal­marum fructus, similam, mel, piflacia? Tota hortorum cul­tura vexatur vt cibario non vescamur pane: et dum delicias sectamur, à regno Coelorum retrabimur. Hie­ron. ep. 2. ad Nepotian. pa. 18. A. Let thy Fasts (saith he) be pure, chaste, sincere, moderate, and not superstitious. For what auaileth it (saith he) to forbeare oyle, and to seeke after farre fetched and deare bought niceties, as drie Figgs, Pepper, Nuts, Dates, Simnels, Honey, Pistace nuts? Wel-dressed Gardens are tumbled ouer, that wee may not feede on browne bread: and while we follow after delicates, we are drawne backe from the Kingdome of Heauen. And if this holy Father do not allow of these so meane delicates in comparison, how would hee thunder against sweet wines, and sweet meates, marchpanes, preserued stuffe, and condited juncates, all of them very warrantable on a Romane fasting day? And this custome of the ancient Church, is so cleare and well knowne to all that knowe any thing in Antiquitie, that the Writers of the Church of Rome doe confesse it to be true. The Author of the Booke called Antiquitates Liturgicae, saith, Antiq. Liturg. to. [...] feriâ quarta quatuor tem­porum. cap. 1. pag. 101. [Fuit olim par ratio vini, quae carnis;] There was anciently the same reaso of wine, that was of flesh. And not long after he addeth, that the meates forbid­den by the Canons in time of fasting, were delicate meates, either by nature, or made such by Arte. Postremum à quo abstinere inbent canones, sunt cibi delicati, siue naturâ, siue arte conditi. Ibid. pag. 105. [Page 14]Lindan saith, that Jeiunia no­stra, quae—dum olei stammas, vi­ni aestum, omnis (que) aromatum gene­ris ignes Helluoni infarciunt stoma­cho, veteribus Christianis omni­no fuisse non mo­dò incognita, sed & intolerabilia, at (que) adeò abomi­nanda, pijs omni­bus vetera cogi­tantibus arbitra­mur notius, quàm vt de ea re vlla sint verba pro­fundenda. Lind. Panopl. l. 3. c. 11. pag. 89. Wines, and Spices, and Confecti­ons, now familiar in their Fasts, would haue seemed intalerable to the ancient Church. Beyerlynck saith, that Abstinebant illi piscibus, om­ni (que) potu, qui ine­briare potest: nunc in solis car­nibus ciborum delectus fere con­sistit. Beyer­linck. prompt. in festo Cine­rum, tex. 3. pag. 64. they (the Ancients) did abstaine from fish, and all drinke that might ouerturne the braine; but that now among them, their choise of meates consisteth almost in flesh only. Reginaldus saith, Licet vinum olim fuerit de nu­mero rerum quae in die ieiunij sumi prohibentur, nunc tamen non esse. Reginald. l. 4. num. 151. pag. 151. Though wine anciently was in the number of those things which are forbidden on fasting dayes, yet it is not now so. Mat­thaeus Galenus saith, Vinum vix puerperis concedebatur: sanos autem & valentes illudgustare in Quadragesima & quartis, sextis (que) feriis, nefas fuisse testantur Epiphan. Timotheus & Balsamon. Mat. Galenus Catech. 93. pag. 291. Wine was scarce permitted to women in childe-bed: but that men in health should taste it in Lent, or on Wednesdaies and Frydaies, was held as an hainous thing. And Pisanus, Veteres Canones non solum vinū, sed etiam siceram interdixere, & omne quod inebriare potest, & mulsam ac ceruisiam: olera tantum concedebant in esum, seclu­sis etiam ipsis piscibus. Pisan. de Abstinent. cap. 14. pag. 162. The an­cient Canons (saith he) did not onely forbid wine, but strong drinke, and Meath, and Ale, and all that might ouercome the braine: they onely allowed hearbs for meate; fishes being forbidden also. And Hofmeister citeth a saying out of Theophilus Alexandrinus, that Qui legum praecepta custo­diunt, ignorant vinū in ieiunijs, carniū esum repudiant. Hof. Loc. com. cap. 17. fol. 176. pa. 2. they who keepe the rules of the Lawes, know not any wine in their Fasts. It is a cleare case then, that the Ancients did forbeare wine and strong drinke, and pleasant meates, when they refreshed them­selues vpon their fasting daies. And consequent­ly, the choise of meates, which the Church of Rome doth make, is most opposite to the practice of Gods people in elder and purer times.

Secondly, the choise that the Church of Rome doth make of her meates for a fasting day, doth o­uerthrow the very vse of a religious Fast. For by their owne definitions and determinations, the vse of a right Fast is for afflicting of the body, and subduing of lust, and elevating of the minde to God-ward: but their choise of meates ouerthrow­eth these ends and vses. For, spices, and sweet­meates, and preserued stuffe, and confectionary ware, and strong wines, (all which, and much more, are allowable with them in their religious Fasts: nay, they do ordinarily prouide the best wines, or where wines are not so vsuall, Braggot & Meath, & other choise drinkes, to keepe Lent Fast withall:) these, I say, doe please nature, inflame the blood, fill the head, and prouoke lust; so farre are they from helping to cleare the braine, elevate the minde, coole lust, and afflict the body. This truth, be­sides the euidence of it in reason, is acknowled­ged by the Aduersaries also. Iacobus de Graff is, Etsi vinum sit nutritiuum; & ad concupis­centiam magis prouocet potus vini, quàm esus carnium,—ta­men, &c. Iaco. de Graff. part. 1. lib. 2. c. 37. num. 24. pag. 215. Although (saith he) wine be nutritiue or of a nou­rishing nature, and the drinking of wine doth more prouoke men to lust then the eating of flesh doth; yet, &c. Pisanus, A quibusdam terrae fructibus abstinebant olim Catholici, in Quadragesima, vt docuit Au­gustinus contra Faustum, nempo ab Aromatis, aut ijs quae venerem excitant. Pisan. de Abstinent. cap. 14. pag. 165. Catholikes (saith hee) in times past, did abstaine from some fruites of the earth in Lent time, as Augustine doth witnesse; as namely from spi­ces, and such things as stirre vp or prouoke lust. And so speake others: but I will content my selfe with one testimony more, and that is of Cornelius à Lapide, a late learned Iesuite. Hee writing on these words of Daniel, Neither came there flesh nor [Page 16]wine in my mouth; noteth, that the Ʋeteres Chri­stiani vsi sunt Xerophagiâ .i. cibis aridis, vti teflantur Tertul. Cypr. Basil. & alij. Id (que) faciebāt triplici de causa. Primò, ad poeni­tentiam. Sicut enim potus, quia liquidus & subti­lis & penetrans intima, intimiùs singulas corporis partes afficit & recreat; ita ab­flinere à potu et à liquidis, vesci (que) aridis, maior est poenitētia, quàm vesci liquidis & abstinere aridis. Sis, sitis magis affligit hominem quàm fames: ac proinde faciliùs est esurienti ab­stinere à cibo, quàm sitienti ab­stinere à potu. Secundò, ad casti­tatem. Cibi enim aridi arefaciunt corpus, & humo­rem venereum consumunt. Tertiò, ad sapi­entiam, studiū & orationem. Qui enim liqui­dis abstinet, caret vaporibus & fumis, qui caput, rationem & iudicium offuscont, obscurant & bebetant. Hinc vetus dictum, Anima suca est sapientissima. Corn. à Lapide in Daniel. 10.3. Ancients did vse a dry kinde of foode, (consisting of bread, salt, water, and raw rootes, and such like) which they called Xerophagia, .i. a dry feeding. And they did it, (as he saith) for three causes. 1. Ad paenitentiam; for an act of repentance, or (to vse their own phrase) for doing of penance. For, as drinke, because it is li­quid, and of a subtill substance, and easily piercing in­to the inward parts, doth more affect and refresh all the parts of the body; so abstinence from drinke, and liquid things, and eating of dry foode, is a greater pe­nance, then if a man should eate moist things, and ab­staine from dry. So, thirst doth more afflict or chasten a man, then hunger doth; and therfore it is more easie for an hungry man to forbeare meat, then for a thirsty man to forbeare drinke. Secondly, They vsed this dry feeding (saith he) ad castitatem; for preseruing of chastitie. For dry meates doe dry the body, and consume venereous moisture. Thirdly, Adsapientiam, studium & orationem; for furthering of wisdome, meditation and prayer. For hee that refraineth moist meates, is free from vapours and fumes, which doe darken and dull reason and iudgement. And hence came the old saying, Anima sicca est sapientissima; The dry soule is the most wise. And if this bee true, as both reason doth teach, and learned men of the Romane Church doe acknowledge; we haue two conclusions from hence for our purpose.

1. Concl. Seeing Daniel and the ancient Chri­stians, vpon good ground and reason, did for­beare [Page 17]wine and moist meates, and eate dry things, when they refreshed themselues vpon their fasting daies: therefore Papists, who permit all sorts of wine, and doe vse to chasten the body, by filling it with strong drinkes, are most vnlike to the ho­ly men of elder times. And therefore it is an idle flourish, when they alledge Antiquity for the bol­stering vp of their choise of meates: the custome of the Ancients being heerein no more like to the custome of the present Romane Church, then Chalke is to Cheese.

2. Concl. Seeing wine and drinkes, and moist things, and spicerie wares, doe more prouoke lust, and more dull the braine, and more refresh and content nature, than drie meates doe: therefore Papists make a mad choise of meates; when on their fasting dayes, which should serue for abating of lust, and afflicting of the body, and eleuating of the minde in prayer and meditation, they allow all sorts of wine and strong drinkes; and adde to their drinkes, sweet-meates, and conserues and confections, and spices, and what else may either please the taste, or content nature, so it bee not flesh. Let them cease then to boast of their morti­fying of the flesh by prescribing of many fasts: for the Drunkard and the Glutton would, to choose, wish such a fasting day once or twise a weeke, for the satisfying of their appetite, as these men doe prescribe and practise for the macerating and cru­cifying of their flesh.

CHAP. III. The number of refections allowed in a Popish Fast.

THe second particular, wherein the libertie, or licenciousnesse rather, which the Romane Church doth take and vse in her Fasts, is, the number of refections allowable with them on a fasting day. And for this purpose, I finde, that they allow, first, a set meale, which is their Dinner. Secondly, a little meale, which they call, Coenulam, a little Supper; and Refectiunculam, a small refection; or Collationem vespertinam, a Collation in the euening. And thirdly, they allow Drinkings all day long, as many as ye will; which we may call their continuall or all-day Beuers.

And for the first of these, that is, their Dinner, they acknowledge that to be a full meale; & they say that it is the only refection which they allow vpon a fasting day. And therefore I shall not neede vpon this occasion, to say any more of it; all that heerein I doe intend, being onely to shew how many refections they do allow. But for the o­ther two, they do so mince the matter when they speake of them, as if these deserued not the name of any Refreshing or Refection. And therefore it will be requisite to insist vpon these a little longer: that we may see what they say, and what we may thinke of them.

1. To beginne then with the former, which is their euening Collation, or little Supper, as they call it; we may, for discouering of their indulgence therein, consider three things. First, the qualitie of the meate then allowed. Secondly, The quan­tity of it. And thirdly, the reason and grounds, from whence this indulgence did arise. In all which, that no man may thinke them to be char­ged wrongfully, I will deliuer their opinion in their owne words.

And first, for the qualitie of the meate, or the kindes of things allowed by them, Azorius saith, Communi iam̄ vsu receptū est, vt parum pa­nis etiam eda­tur, vel seorsim solum, vel vnà cum fructibus, herbis, vel alijs cibis leuioribus, cuiusmodi sunt fi­cus, vua passa, nuces, pira, poma, vel alia ex sac­charo vel melle confecta, vel pis­ciculus paruulus. Azor. Instit. part. 1. l. 7. cap. 8. q 7. pa. 557. that the common custome is, (and that both he and the rest do approue of) for men to eate a little bread, either by it selfe alone, or together with fruites, hearbs, or other lighter meates, such as are figgs, raisins of the sunne, peares, apples, or other things made of sugar, or of honey, or a little small fish. Filliucius saith, Dico omnes conuenire, quòd licitè sumi possint ea, quae commu­niter in ientaculis & collatiunculis apponi solent: qualia sunt arbo­rum fructus, her­bae, & cibi leuio­res; vt ficus, a­mygdalae, vuae passae, nuces, pirae, poma, oliuae, bel­laria. Filliuc. Moral Qq. Tract. 27. part. 2. c. 2. num. 29. pag. 280. that all doe agree, that those things which commonly are brought to table at breakfasts and banquets, may lawfully bee vsed; such as are the fruites of trees, hearbes, and lighter meates, as figgs, almonds, rai­sins of the sunne, nuts, peares, apples, oliues, juncates, or banketing stuffe. And De pane, quāuis aliqui dubitarint; securè tamen adhiberi potest ex consuetudīne. Ibid. as for bread, though some haue made question of it, yet it may be taken without feare, and without danger. Bonacina saith, Quā ­uis communiori vsu receptum sit, vt in secunda refectione ij sumantur cibi, quibus in die ieiunij vescimur ante vel past prandium, vt sunt vua, nuces, pon a, vel alia ex saccharo aut melle con­fecta; licitè tamen etiam sumi potest iusculum, [...]odò ron sit ex coctis cibis, qui tempore ieiunij interdicuntur. Posset etiam comedi pisciculus, aut exigua pars piscis maioris. Martin. Bo­nacina Sum. Moralis, to. 2. de Legib. Disput. vlt. q. 1. punct. 3. num. 3. pag. 320. Al­though it be receiued by the more common custome, [Page 20]that in the second refection, those meates may be taken, which on a fasting day we eate either before or after dī ­ner; such as are raisins, nuts, apples, or other things made of sugar or honey: Yet broth also may lawfully be taken, so it be not of such boyled meates, as are forbid­den in the time of the Fast. A little fish also may be ea­ten, or a little portion of a greater fish. These and such like be the meates, which they allow men to feede on in the euening of their fasting day; and by ea­ting of these in stead of their vsuall supper, they macerate the body mightily, and pull downe the pride of the flesh, that it shall neuer dare to kicke against the spirit any more.

Secondly, for the quantite of meate in their e­uening Collation, they say, it may be such and so great, as the custome of the place is. Fernandes saith, that the custome of the Countrey is to bee obserued. For, Non est mor­tale talem consue­tudinem seruare, licet quantitas sit aliquantulū gra­uis. Fernand. Exam. part. 2. §. 2. cap. 8. nu. 9. pa. 389. it is no mortall sinne to follow that, though the quantitie be somewhat great. Fumus saith, Facientes Collationem gros­sam secundum consuetudinem Rom. Curia vel tinelli, non fran­gunt ieiunium. Aur. Armill. v. Ieiun. nu. 12. pag. 541. that they which make a grosse or great Collation, ac­cording to the custome of the Court of Rome, doe not violate their Fast. Filliucius saith, Etiamsi par­uitas cibi, qui su­mitur, non excu­saret, adhuc ta­men inducta con­suctudo liberat à culpa. — Non ergo adae­quata ratio liciti vsus Resectiun­culae est, quia sit exigua, sed quia consuetudo iam induxit. Filliuc. Moral. Qq. Tract. 27. part. 2. c. 2. nu. 26. pag. 279. that the pro­per or adequate reason for the lawfull vse of the euen­ing Refection, is not because it is little, but because custome hath brought it in: and that though the small quantitie of meate should not excuse it, yet the receiued custome doth free it from fault. Tolet saith, that In Collatione verò est mensura: non debet enim esse tanta, vt potius sit Coena; tunc enim solueretur ieiuni­um. Quanta tamen debeat esse, consideranda est consuetudo communis patriae, quae viget com­muniter apud homines bonos & timoratos. Non enim est peccatum mortale, talem consuetudinem seruare, licet quantitas sit aliquantulum grandis. Tolet Instruct. Sacer. l. 6. c. 2. nu. 6. pa. 738. a measure is to be kept: for it may not bee so great, as that it doe rather become a Supper, then a Col­lation; [Page 21]for then it were a breaking of a mans fast. But to know how great it may be, respect is to be had to the common custome of the country, vsed by men of tender conscience. For it is no mortall sinne, to obserue that, though the quantitie bee somewhat great. Where we may obserue by the way, that in this Iesuites iudgement, men of tender consciences among them, may vse a great quantity of meat in their little Supper. But if ye desire further to know what quantity men of tender conscience in the Roman Church doe vse, Azorius telleth vs, De Collatione noctis Natiuitatis Domini respōdes, — quòd consue­tudo non solùm hominum parum de sua salute spi­rituali curantiū Secularium; — Sed omnium Cle­ricorum, imò Re­ligiosorum & Praelatorum, etiā Episcoporum & Archiepiscoporū bonorū invaluit, vt illa nocte opu­ientas Collationes fructuum et con­seruarum — & rerum ex saccha­ro confectarum in suis mensis mini­strentur: quorū mensis adfui, & testis sum, & fic dico posse fieri illa nocte cum tali­bus, non seruata mensura ieiunij. Llamas Summ. Ecllesiast. part. 3. c. 5. §. 25. pa. 392, 393. that in the Popes Court (and there I trow there be men of tender conscience: sure I am, their learned Doctors doe approue of the custome there) that In Curia Ro­mana & Ponti­ficia solet Refecti­uncula sumi pan­lo maior. Azor. Instit. part. 1. l. 7. c. 8. q. 8. pag. 557. in the Popes Court they vse to take a somewhat greater nights refection, then elsewhere is vsed. And therefore the common custome a­broad cannot be excepted against, for being grea­ter then men of tender consciences doe approue. Llamas a Spanish Fryer and Doctor saith, that on Christmas Eue it is the custome not onely of Lay-men carelesse of their saluation, but of all the Clergy, yea, of religious persons and Prelates, yea, and of good Bishops and Archbishops, to be serued at their tables with plentifull Collations of fruits, and conserues, and confections of Sugar: that himselfe hath beene at their tables, and is an eye winesse of it, and that it may at that time lawfully be done by such men, with­out obseruing a measure of Fasting. And for the common custome of other men, Beyerlinck spea­king of themselues of the Roman Church, saith, [Page 22] Nos longo et pleno prandio ves­pertinam adijct­mus Refectiuncu­lam, quae saepenu­mero in coenam degeneret. Bey­erlinck. Prōpt. Moral. in festo Cinerum, text. 3. in fine, pag. 64. We to a long and full dinner doe adde an euening re­fection, which oftentimes doth degenerate into a Sup­per. And this he mentioneth as a motherly indul­gence which the Church of Rome doth permit vnto her children. And Lindan saith, That such hath beene the licenciousnesse of people, that be­side the drinking of Wine and eating of Fish, things not vsed among the Ancients, Immo & canulam, — po­stremò etiam iu­stam adderent Coenam, quae ve­teribus procul dubio iustum fu­isset prandium. Lindan. Pano­pl. l. 3. c. 11. pag. 89. they added also Coenulam, a little Supper, and last of all, a full Supper, which the Ancients out of all question would haue esteemed a full dinner. Nor may any man ex­cept against this last testimony, because hee speak­eth not of men of tender Consciences, but of the ordinary multitude, who as he saith, had taken an irreligious liberty against the strict Rules of their fore-fathers. For that limitation of Tolets, when he approueth only that custome which is allow­ed by tender consciences, is but a flourish, or a varnish to colour ouer their licencious dealing and doctrine with. For otherwise in deed and in truth, their Doctrine is, that in this case of Fa­sting, custome, whether it bee reasonable or vn­reasonable, yet doth still make the practice law­full, as I shall haue occasion to shew more fully when I come to the last particular. And by this it may appeare, what quantity of meat is allowable in their little Supper, as they call it.

In the third place now, wee are to consider of the reason or ground of this Supper on Fasting-dayes; for it was not so from the beginning: and therefore it will be worth the labour to search how it came in. But we neede not to bestow any [Page 23]great paines: themselues doe tell vs, that Quanquam olim sumerentur [Collationes] tan­tum per modum medicinae ad cap­tandum somnum; iam tamen consu­etudo obtinuit, vt etiam aliquid per modum nu­tritionis sumatur. Fernand. Exā. part. 2. c. 8. §. 2. nu. 9. pag. 389. in for­mer time, when it first beganne, it was allowed only by way of medicine to procure sleepe, when men through abstinence and emptinesse could not take their naturall rest: but that now custome hath pre­uailed, that it may bee vsed for nourishment or to feede the body. And (as another saith) Verius mihi videntur sentire, qui eiusmodi Re­fectiunculam ab­solutè & simplici­ter esselicitam ar­brtrantur, tamet­si indigentiae ex­cusationem non habeat. Eam e­nim à peccato de­fendit & liberat non somni velna­turae necessitas, sed cōsuetudo re­cepta: & — fa­teor quidem illā primò coepisse causā somni capi­endi, & idcirco etiam indigentiae; more tamen & consuetudine est introductū, vt eâ absolutè et simpliciter vtamur. Azor. Inst part. 1. l. 7 c. 8. q. 4. p. 556. at the be­ginning it was brought in to make men sleepe, and so vpon a kinde of necessity: but now it is by custome warranted, that we may vse it without any such re­spect. And so, or to the same purpose speake Fillinc. Moral. Qq. Tract. 27. part 2. c. 2. nu. 25. pag. 279. Less de Iustit. & Iure, l. 4. c. 2. Dubit. 2. §. Item sumentes. pag. 719. Llamas Summ Eccles. part. 3. c. 5. §. 24. pag. 391, 392. Ioseph. Angles in 4. de Iejun. q. 9. art. 2. diffic. 4. pag. 435. o­thers also. So in conclusion wee see, that besides their set meale at noone-tide, they allow a little meale (as they call it) in the euening, consisting of bread, fruits, herbes, spices, confections, and a small fish, and that in such measure or quantity, be it small or great, as by the custome of the place is made vsuall; and all this for refreshing and nou­rishing of the body. And thus much they say.

Now I say to the contrary, that this rule and custome of theirs doth both swarue from all pra­ctice of Antiquity, and doth crosse the rules and properties of an holy Fast, euen such as them­selues doe require.

First, it is repugnant to Antiquity. Olim quum in diebus ieiuntorū ad nonam coenassent omnes, nulla vespertiná refectionculâ vtebantur: sed postquam edere seu coenare coeperunt ad sextam, qui iei [...]um seruabant, introducla est refectiuncula vesper­tina. Azor instit. l. 7. c. 8. q 5. pag. 556. For anci­ently (saith a Iesuite) when all men fasted till three of the clocke, they vsed not any euening Refection: but [Page 24]after that men on their fasting dayes beganne to eat their Supper at mid-day, (which was but a few yeeres agoe, and more then a thousand yeeres after Christ) then was the euening Refection brought vp. And as another Iesuite confesseth, Quia Cano­nes teiunantibus cibum prohibent, potū no prohibēt; subingressa sunt, conniuentibus Hierarcbis, nostrae nocturnae refecti­unculae veteri­bus prorsus igno­tae, eo videlicet praetextu, ne po­tus noceat. Pisa. de Abstinent. ca. 14. pa. 167. Because the Canons of the Church doe forbid meat, but doe not forbid drinke: by the conniuence of the Prelates, our euening Refections vtterly vnknowne to the Anci­ents entred in, vpon pretence, for sooth, lest drinke a­lone should doe hurt to the stomake. And Beyerlinck more freely & plainly Illi vnicam vefectionem, eā (que) tenuem ieiunan­tibus indulgebāt; nos longe et pleno prandio vesperti­nam adijcimus Refectiunculam, quae saepenumero in Coenam dege­neret. Beyerl. Prompt. Mo­ral. in festo Cinerum, text. 3. pag. 63. 64. They, saith he, (he meaneth the Ancients) permitted one only Refection, and that a spare one too: but we to a long and full dinner doe adde a small Refection more, which oftentimes doth degenerate into a Supper. Thus themselues con­fesse (as indeed they cannot with any face deny so cleare and euident a truth) that their euening Collation is a nouell custome, vnheard of in the primitiue Church, or among good Christians in the purer times.

Secondly, this custome of theirs in taking an euening Collation after a full noone-tide Dinner, doth crosse and ouerthrow the nature and right vse of a religious Fast. For themselues describe a Fast to consist of one Refection onely; and they adde by way of reason, that if more were granted, it would take away the end aimed at in an holy Fast, which is the afflicting of the body, Probatur ex vniuersali consue­tudine, quae sic in­terpretatae est praeceptum ieiu­nij, vt non nisi femel in die com­edendum sit. Sil­uester, Medina, Azorius, & alij. Et iure merito (que) quia si pluries Refectio sumeretur, non casti­garetur corpus; passim enim bomines contenti sunt duplici refectione. Filliuc. Tract. 27. part. 2. c. 2. nu. 22. pag. 279. Quum homines communiter bis in die comedant, volens iciunare de­bet tantùm semel in die comedere. At (que) ob id vnica comestio in die ieiunij (à media nocte in me­diam vs (que) nostem) est necessaria ad essentiam ieiunij. Ideo (que) bis parum comedens non censetar ieiunâsse. Lorichius Thesaur. v. Ieiunium nu. 6. because [Page 25]men ordinarily are contented and satisfied with two Refections in a day; and consequently, more then one, would be no affliction or chastisement to the body. And they say true: and the truth of it is verified in this case. For who cannot without feeling any want of meat, goe to bed with such a Collation in the euening, after he hath eaten a good dinner before? By their owne rules then it followeth, that the allowing of such an euening Collation after a noone-tide dinner, is an abolishing of the right vse of an holy Fast.

And thus much for their euening Refection or Collation: I come now to consider their custome of drinking on their fasting dayes, which I call a continuall Bever. For they doe allow a man in their Fasts to drinke what drinke he will, and as often as he will. In Ecclesia­stica Quadrage­sima vnica refe­ctio tantum est concessa, & in potatione nulla est apposita limitatio. Io. Medina Cod. de Ieiu­nio. q. 2. in fine pag. 329. In drinking in Lent fasts there is no limitation or restraint, how often it may bee vsed, saith Medina. And Fernandes, hauing first propounded the question, Poterítne quis in die ieiu­nij saepius bibere, quamuis sciat se potu maximè ali? Resp. Pote­rit. Fernand. Exam. p. 2. c. 8. nu. 17. pa. 392. Whether vpon a fa­sting day a man may drinke oftentimes, although hee doe know he shall be nourished very much by it: hee answereth readily and roundly, Poterit, hee may doe it. And so Filliucius, Dico potum a­quae vel vini vel ceruisiae, siue ante siue post prandi­um; siue suma­tur ad sustenta­tienem, siue non, haud frangere ieiunium. I say (saith hee) that drinking of water, or wine, or beere, whether it be be­fore or after dinner; whether it be taken for nourish­men or not, doth no way breake a mans fast. And a­greeably hereunto the rest of their Doctors doe teach, as I shewed before out of AZorius.

Now lay these things together, that vpon a Fa­sting day a man may eat a full dinner, and after that in the euening take a little Supper, which by [Page 26]vertue of common custome doth grow to a true or iust meale many times; and besides all this, Colligitur, quòd non prohi­b [...]tur bibere quantum quis voluerit ante & post comestionem. Sequitur praete­reaeum non in­fringere te [...]un [...]ū, qu [...]sumit Collati­onem: nam am plius quàm sen el in die non come­dit. Barthol. Medina In­struct. Confes­sariorum, l. 1. c. 14 §. 10. pag. 142. Nondici­tur Refectio, sed Refectiuncula. Bonacina Mo­ral. Theol. to. 2. disp. vlt. q. 1. punct. 3. pag. 320. may drinke sweete wines and strong drinkes, what he will, at all times of the day, and then tell me, what great penance is to be found in a Popish Fast? They say, that drinking of the best wines, is no feeding; and that eating a Collation in the euening, and spices and conserues at other times of the day, is no Refe­ction. But Ionathan, when he tasted a little honey vp­on the point of his speare, felt himself much refreshed by it; as it is 1 Sam. 14.27, 28, 29. And we finde it in experience, that strong drinkes, spicerie and confections, doe so satisfie the desire of nature, that they take away a mans appetite from his meate; and themselues confesse, that wines, and strong drinkes, and Electuaries, doe nourish the bo­dy, and breede blood and spirits. What gluttons then are they in their religious Fasts, that esteeme all this as no refection of the body? And if it bee a Voco Refe­ctionem, sump­tionem cibi ad alendum corpus, Filliuc. Tract. 27. part. 2. cap. 2 nu. 22. pag. 279 & Sumere ten­raculum si roti­num ad sustentationem naturae, est procul dubio iterum comedere. Caiet. Summula, v. Ieiu­nium. fol. 120. pag. 2. Refection, (as they which vse it doe feele, and all that consider it, euen themselues not excepted, will confesse it;) then a Popish Fast is not contai­ned in the definition of a true Fast, one essentiall part whereof is this, that there be taken one onely Refection for the space of a whole day.

CHAP. IIII. The Time of refection in a Popish Fast.

THus I haue done with the se­cond particular, concerning their Indulgence, namely, the Number of their Refections: the third is, the time that they prescribe or allow for the breaking of their Fast. For in the ordinary Fasts of the Church, one refection in the day hath euer beene allowed, but that in times past, when Religion was not defaced with super­stition and hypocrisie, was towards the end of the day; that so nature might bee chastened, and yet not destroyed. But in the Fasts of the Church of Rome, this vsage of the Ancients is peruerted also. For clearing of which point, I will set down their owne sayings and conclusions.

1. They say in the generall, that that time for breaking of a mans Fast is lawfull, which custome doth approue. So Medina saith, Hic taman non est immor en­dum, nec opus est scrupulos inferre. Seruetur in hoc, sicut in alijs mul­tis patria consu­etudo, Ioh. Me­dina Cod. de ieiun. q. 6. pag. 338. Col. 2. that concerning this point we are not to make any stop, nor is it needfull to moue any scruples: but let the custome of the Country be obserued herein, as in many other things. Fernan­des first propoundeth the question: Interr. Quae est hora cōpetens sumendi cibum? Resp. Ea, quae secundum consu­etudinem loci ser­uari solet paulò plus minusue. Fernand. Ex­am. part. 2. c. 8. §. 2. nu. 4. pag. 388. What is a com­petent houre for receiuing of meate on a fasting day? and then he shapeth the answer to it, That houre which is vsed to be kept according to the custome of the [Page 28]place; or thereabouts not much vnder or ouer. And Cajetan, Hora quidem conueniens, ante quam non est comedendum, est meridies gros­sâ aestimatione. Sed vbi commu­niter non serua­tur à ieiunanti­bus, potest quis comedere illâ ho­râ, quâ cōmuni­ter ieiunantes ibi comedunt. Caie. Summul. v. Ieiun. fol. 120. pag. 1. The conuenient houre (saith hee) before which we must not eate, is mid-day: But where that is not commonly obserued, a man may eate at that houre, at which those that doe fast, doe commonly eate in that place. And to the same purpose speake o­thers also.

Secondly, for more particular determination of the time, they say, that the custome among them is, to dine on their fasting daies about mid­day, or an houre or two sooner. Cajetan saith, that Nunc autem Religiosi, etiam multum ante me­ridiem aestiuo tempore & in Quadragesima videntur come­dere. Caietan. Ibid. euen their religious men, in summer and in Lent doe eate their meale long before mid-day. And Azorius telleth vs, that their Seculares reiunium laxant ac soluant, hyeme quidem vnâ ante meridiem horâ; aestate verò dua­bus fere horis an­re meridiem: Mo­nachi verò & caeteri religiosi, hyeme aut semi horâ ante meridiem, aut in meridie, aut etiam horâ ante meridiem; aestate verò vnâ horâ integrâ, aut etiam vnâ & semi borâ ante meridiem. Azor. Instit part. 1. l. 7. c. 11. pag. 564. Col. 1.2. Seculars doe breake off their Fast in winter, one houre before mid-day, and in sum­mer almost two houres: and that Monckes and other religious persons doe it, in winter, about mid-day, or halfe an houre, or a whole houre before; and in sum­mer, a whole houre, or an houre & an halfe before mid­day. And to him agree Filliuc. Tract. 27. part. 2. c. 4. nu 73. pa. 284. Filliucius, and Reginald, Prax. l. 4. nu. 156. pag. 152. Reginaldus.

Thirdly, They thinke it not vnlawfull, to breake Fast longer before noonetide, if so it be v­sed. Barthol. Medina saith, De hoc non est scrupulus habendus. Nam videtur mos es­seinter Christianos introductus, quòd edere sufficit quasi borâ ante meridiem; suntque nonnulli Doctores sentientes seruari ieiunium, si manè comeditur tribus aut quatuor anticipatis horis ante aneridicm, modò non comedatur niagis quàm semel. Barthol. Medina Instruct. Confes. l. 1. c. 14. §. 10. pag. 143. that wee are not to stand scrupulously vpon this point, because the custome is brought in among Christians, that it sufficeth to eate about an houre before noone: and that some Do­ctors [Page 29]think that a Fast is kept, if men eate in the mor­ning, three or foure houres before mid-day, so they eate not oftener then once. And he and they speake according to their owne grounds and principles. For seeing custome is of such power with them, both in this and in other things, that it may dissa­null and cancell the Churches orders in greater matters then this is, as Reginald. l. 4. nu. 156. pa. 152. Reginaldus saith it may; then if custome haue preuailed to haue Dinner many houres before noone, it will be safe inough to vse it.

Fourthly, because the rules and Canons of the Church did require, that their after-noone ser­uice, which they call Officium Nonae, their noone or ninth-houre Seruice, which was at three of the Clocke after mid-day, should bee said in their Churches, before they did breake off their Fast; they translated their after-noone Seruice to the fore-noone, that so they might eate their Supper about mid-day, or sooner. And though they altered the time, in this manner, from the ninth houre to the sixt, or sooner, that is, from three of the Clocke to twelue; yet they kept the old name of their Seruice still, and called it Preces Nonae, the noone or ninth-houre Prayers. And from hence a learned man of their own Church obserueth, that Est hoc no­stris moribus re­ceptum in officio Ecclesiastico, vt diebus ieiuni­orum Preces No­nae, & quas horâ nonâ dicere opor­tebat, ante pran­dium recitentur. Et vulgus Rusti­corum apud Walones meridiem vocant Nonam, & Flandri tàm Rustici quàm Ciues meridiem suo idiomate vocant Nonam; & ad pulsum duodecimae, quae est nobis hora meridiei, obtinuit vetus proborum Catholicorum consuetudo, vt detecto capite oretur Deus & cogitetur mors Christi, quae accidit hord nonâ Antiq. Liturg. to. 1. feriâ 4 quatuor Temporum cap. 1. pa. 100. in Flanders, and among the Wallons, mid-day or twelue of the Clocke hath beene vsed to bee called Noone. And so wee see it is called among vs heere [Page 30]in England. Nor did they rest contented with this; but because the Tempore Quadragesima non manducant ieiunantes ante dictas vesperas: sed dicunt illas omnes Ecclesiae decimâ horâ, vt vndecimâ come­dant. Hieron. Llamas Summ. Eccles. part. 3. c. 5. § 26. pa. 394. Erat illa consuetudo in Quadragesima, vt horá nonâ, hoc est, nostro more, horâ tertiâ post meridiem, incipe­rent fieri missae, & post missas Ōfficium Vesper­tinum, ac deinde solueretur ieiu­niū. Cui legi nostri mores fraudem faciunt. Ita e­nim dicimus missas vt vnà cum Ʋespertinali Officio, quod illis in Quadragesima continuò rectè subiungimus, finiantur hora sexta, quae respondet nostrae due­decimae seu meridiei, & tunc soluimus ietunium. Antiq. Liturg. to. 2. feriâ sextâ post Ci­neres. pag. 105. Canons required, that in Lent time they should fast till after the Vespers or Euening Seruice was ended, which was toward night; they said their Vespers or Euening Seruice in the morning, that hauing dispatched them, they might goe to meat at 11. or 10. of the clocke. And so Quum ieiunium, quod antea non nisi ad nonam horam, siue ad tert am nobis po eridianam soluebatur, ante meridiem interrumperetur, atque eam in rem non modò mysteria, sed & vesperae suum mentientes tempus anticiparentur; factum est vt—horae ieiuniorum labore molestiores praeciderentur. Lindan. Panopl. lib. 3. cap. 11. pag. 89. their Euening Seruice (as a learned Bishop of their owne doth obserue) belyeth his time, being performed long before that time of the day. And the reason of all this was, because (as Tunc vespertinae borae post horam tertiam post meridiem celebrabantur; quam horam quum multis esset difficile expe [...]tare vt coenam sumerent; postea vsu mductum est, vt ante vel iuxta meridiem celebrarentur, vt illis finitis, competens ad co edendum tempus fideli­bus relinqueretur. Io. Medina Cod. de Ieiun. q. 6 pag. 338. Col. 2. themselues doe tell vs) it was too long for many to stay till three of the clocke for their supper; and therefore it was brought in by custome, that the Euening Seruice should be said before or about mid-day, that that being ended, there might be left a competent houre, for Gods faith­full people to eate on their fasting day. The summe is, they made haste with their Seruice, that they might not stay long for their Dinner.

Now against this part of their Indulgence, I say,

1. That it is against all practice of Antiquitie in Scriptures. For, the custome related there, was to abstaine till Euening, or the Sunne-setting; as may appeare by the examples of Fasts recorded in [Page 31]Scriptures, and gathered and alledged by Bellar­mine to that purpose. In Testa­mento veteri quum de ieiuniis agitar, borae ve­spertinae fit men­tio, Jud. 20. Ie­iunauerunt illa die vsque ad ve­speram. Idem ba­betur. 2 Reg. 1. & 3. & alibi. Ex quo intelligi­mus apud Patres Veteris Testa­menti ieiunium fuisse semel tantùm, idque ad vesperam eibum capere. Bellar. de bo. oper. in partic. l. 2. c. 2. §. unam igitur. In the Old Testament, (saith he) where there is speech of fasting, there is mention made of the euentide, as the time when they broke off their Fast: as Iudg. 20.26. They fasted that day vntill euen. And the like is said, 2. Sam. 1.12. They mourned and wept and fasted vntill euen for Saul and for Ionathan, and 2 Sam. 3.35. So doe God to me, and more also, if I taste bread or ought else, till the sunne be downe. And so else where. Whereby we vn­derstand (saith hee) that among the Fathers of the Old Testament, a Fast was, to eate meate but once on­ly, and that in the euening. The case is both cleare and confessed; and therefore needeth no further proofe.

2. I say, that it is against the practice of the an­cient Christian Church. For In principio n [...]sientis Ecclesiae ieiunium vs (que) ad solis occasum ten­debatur. Et ratio est, quia Apostoli formam ieiunandi accepe­runt ab antiquis Patribus, quibus praeceptum erat, vs (que) ad vesperam ieiunium seruare: & ita Discipuli Apostolorum per multa tempora seruaue ut. Lege Euseb. l. 2. Hist. Eccl. c. 17. & Basil. Serm. 1. de Ieiun. & D. Ambros. Serm. 33 & B. Aug. Ep. 86. Ioseph. Angles in 4. Sent part. 1. de Iej. q. 9. ar. 3. Diff. 1. pa. 440. v. Antiq. Liturg. to, 2 feriâ 6. post Cineres. p. 104. in the beginning of the Church, Fasts were continued till the Sunne-set­ting, saith Ioseph Angles. He addeth, that the rea­son thereof was, because the Apostles receiued their forme of fasting from the Fathers of the Old Testa­ment, who were commanded to keepe their Fast till e­uening. And so the Apostles Scholers kept it for ma­ny yeeres after. And for proofe thereof, hee bid­deth vs reade Eusebius, Basil, Ambrose, and Augu­stine. And if he had pleased, he might haue added others moe. Bellarmine citeth Tertullian, Atha­nasius, Basil, Epiphan. Ambrose, Hierom, Prudenti­us, Paulinus, Chrysostome, Augustine, Cassian, Bene­dict, Gregorie, Bernard, Micrologus, Gratian. Out [Page 32]of which Authors he concludeth, that Christiani Veteres ieiunia non soluebant, nisi horâ nonâ ab ortusolis, vel etiam horâ ve­sportmâ in Qua­dragesima. — St. August. in Epist. 86. ad Casula­num, passim acci­pit non prandere pro co quod est ieiunare, & cōtra non ieiunare, pro eo quod est pran­dere. — apud Ve­teres — inaudi­tum est prorsus, vt ante horam no­nam, quae est ter­tia post meridi­em, ieiunium quodcunque sol­uatur: quemad­modum etiam nulla est apud Veteres mentio binae Refectionis, quā de ieiunijs a­gitur. Bellar. de bonis operi­bus in part. l. 2. cap. 2. The Anci­ents did not breake off their Fasts til three of the clock in the afternoone, or till euening in Lent time: that in S. Augustines dialect, Not to fast, and to dine; or to fast, and not to dine, is all one: and that it is a thing neuer heard of among the Anciēts, that any Fast should be broke off before three of the clock in the after­noone. And (as another learned man noteth) Tanta fuit alim cura non comedendi ante nonam tempore ieiunij, vt pran­dêre & non ieiu­nare passim om­nibus Veterum libris sint syno­nyma. Antiq. Liturg. to. 1. feria quarta, 4. temporum. cap. 1. pag. 99. So great was the care in old time, not to eate before three of the clocke on their fasting daies, that to dine, and not to fast, are euerywhere in all the Bookes of the An­cients, words of the same signification. And the like is acknowledged generally by the rest of their lear­ned men: as indeed the case is so cleare, that it can­not be denied, or any way shifted off. And heere­with we may rest satisfied for this point: Onely I will adde one consideration more, that the Anci­ents, though they did eate but one onely meale, and that a sparing one; yet they esteemed it not the keeping of a fasting day, if they tooke that meale about noonetide or dinner time. And hence it was, that because the Church did forbid any fasting daies to be kept between Easter and Whit­sunday, that they might expresse their ioy for Christs Resurrection; the ancient Monkes, not willing to vse any fuller diet then they were accu­stomed vnto at other times, did only change their supper into a dinner, without altering the quantitie of their meate. So St. Hierome, relating the cu­stomes of the Coenobitae, that is, such-religious persons as liued together in a Collegiate life, saith [Page 33]among other things, A Pascha ad Pentecosten Coe­nae mutantur in Prandia; quò & traditioni Eccle­siasticae satisfiat, & ventrem cibe non onerent du­plicate. Hieron. Epist. 22. ad Eust. pa. 186. F. From Easter to Pentecost, their Suppers are changed into Dinners, that so they may both satisfie the Orders of the Church, and yet not stuffe the belly with a double portion of meate. And in Cassian we finde, that one hauing moued a doubt, how a religious man, accustomed to fasting and spare diet, might passe this long time of Festi­uitie betweene Easter and Whitsuntide, without making the flesh too wanton, if hee should feede more fully or finely then before; answere was made, to this purpose; that Vt ergo & diebus festiuis statutae consuetu­do solennitatis consernetur, & saluberrimus par­cimoniae modus minimè transcen­datur; sufficit vt indulgentiam re­missionis eò vs (que) progredi patia­mur, vt cibus, qui horâ diei n [...]nâ fuerat capiendus, paulò citiùs, id est, sextà horâ pro festiuitatis tempore capiatur, ea ratione dun­taxat, vt escarum solitus modus vel qualitas non mu­tetur. Cassian. Collat. 21. cap. 23. pag. 1030. for the keeping of this festiuall solemnitie appointed by the Church, without breaking of the wholsome order of their spare diet; it would suffice so farre onely to remit of their rigour, that the meate which was vsed to be taken at three of the clocke in the afternoone, should for that space of time be taken somewhat sooner, that is, about twelue of the clocke, in that maner onely, that neither the wented measure, nor the qualitie of their meate bee changed. By which places it is apparent, that An­tiquitie thought a mans Fast to be broken, if there were nothing else in it, but onely this, that he did eate about mid-day; though the quantitie and qua­litie of his meate were altogether the same that is vsuall on fasting daies. And this may serue to shew how vnlike the Church of Rome is in this point also, to all Antiquitie both of the Iewish and Christian Church.

Thirdly, I say, it is against the nature of a Fast, as it is described by Popish Doctors. For, a Fast is for afflicting of the body by subtraction of food. And therefore, (as Thomas speaking of this [Page 34]very point, saith,) Vnde aportet, quòd aliquid ad­dat supra com­munem consue­tudinem; ita ta­men quòd per hoc non multùm na­tura grauetur. Est autem debita & communis consuetudo come­dendi hominibus circa horam sex­tam; tum quia iam videtur esse completa digestio nocturno tempo­re, naturali calo­re interiùs reuo­cato propter fri­gus noctis cir­cumstans; & dif­fusio humoris per membra, coöper­ante ad hoc calo­re diei, vs (que) ad sū ­mum solis ascen­sum: tum etiam, quia tunc praeci­puè natura corpo­ris humani indi­get iuvari contra exteriorem aeris calorem, ne hu­mores interiùs adurantur. Et idea vt ieiunans aliquam affictio­nem sentiat pro culpae satisfactio­ne, conueniens hora comedendi taxaturieiu­nantibus circa horam nonem. Aquin. 2.2. q. 147. art. 7. in C. Something must be added, aboue the common custome; yet so, that nature hereby be not burdened ouermuch. But the custome of eating about mid-day, is the due and common time; both be­cause now digestion seemeth to be fully ended in the night season, naturall heate being called inward, be­cause of the externall cold about, and the diffusion of the moisture or iuice by the members of the body seem­eth now also compleate, the heate of the day coopera­ting thereunto, vntill the highest ascent of the Sunne. And also because mans nature doth especially then stand in need to be relieued against the externall heate of the ayre, lest the humours within bee burned by it. And therefore that he that fasteth may feele some af­fliction, a conuenient houre of eating is imposed about three of the clocke. And Bellarmine, and Valentia, and Pisanus, besides other moe, in their definiti­ons of a Fast, or among the essentiall things be­longing to it, doe (as I shewed in the beginning) require this for one, that in a Fast, the abstinence is to be longer then at other times, and the refection is to be later and after the vsuall time of Dinner, that by this forbearance of meate, nature may feele a want of food, and the body may be affli­cted by it. But the vsuall time of feeding on ordi­narie dayes, is about noone, or eleuen of the clocke, or not before tenne at the soonest. And therefore when the Church of Rome doth allow mento eate their dinner on fasting dayes at those houres or sooner; it doth by this indulgence o­uerthrow the essence of a Fast.

To this Bellarmine answers, Quando Veteres definie­runt horam no­nam pro solutione ieiunij, tempus ordinarium ci­bum sumendi so­lebat esse meridi­es. Satis enim esse putauerunt ad carnis afflicti­onem & castiga­tionem, si ad spa­tium trium bora­rum, id est, ab bora sexta, vsque ad nonam refe­ctio differ­retur. Nostro verò tempore magna pars ho­minum non horâ sextâ, sed tertiá prandere solet. Ex quo sequitur, vt si tempore ieiunij cibum sumant horâ sextâ, hoe est, ad meridiem, tribus horis seriùs ad reficiendum corpus accedant, quàm ordinariè soleant; ac per hoc ab antiqua consuetudine non recedant. Bellar. de bo. oper. in part. l. 2. c. 2. §. Addimus. that when the Ancients did prescribe three of the clocke for the breaking of a mans Fast, men then did vse to dine about mid day. For they thought that this was sufficiēt affliction for the flesh, if the refection of the body were deferred for three houres space, namely, from twelue, till three of the clocke in the afternoone. But now-a-dayes, (saith he) the greatest part of men is accustomed to dine, not at twelue, but at nine of the clocke in the morning. Whence it followeth, that if men do now in the time of their fast, dine about noone-tide, they come to feed the body three houres later then ordinary: and so they keepe the old custome still. Thus the Cardi­nall. But Filliucius saith, Vt omittam communiter ieiu­nandi difficultatem sentiri in Refectiuncula Vespertina, non autem in prorogatione prandij, quae vix differre solet ab hora consueta prandēdi in diebus cōmunibus. Fil. tract. 27. p. 2. c. 4. nu. 71. p. 284. that commonly the diffi­cultie or hardnesse which is in fasting, is felt in the e­uening refection, and not in the forbearing of dinner, which doth scarce differ from the ordinary houre of dinner on other dayes. Which answeres of theirs doe indeed deserue no reply, because they are e­uidently friuolous. For where doe men now-a­daies ordinarily dine at nine of the clocke, as Bel­larmine saith? Or if they doe so in some places, yet certainely in most places it is not so; and what will he say for the Fasts that be there vsed? Or if it were so in most Countries, yet they doe allow men to dine on their fasting dayes, at eleuen or tenne of the clocke, or sooner. And then what great penance were there in that forbearance, lon­ger then which euery man must and will yeeld vnto at their greatest Feasts, before the Cookes [Page 36]can be ready? And for their little refection at night, that sure pincheth the body but easily, be­ing such as before was declared, and after a full meale at noone-tide before. These friuolous an­swers then deserue no serious reply; nor would I feare lest any man should be perswaded or mis-led by them: yet I thought it not amisse to relate thē, that men might see both what poore and misera­ble shifts they are driuen to, for defence of their loose and licencious Fasts: and also how in things euident to the eye, the one doth crosse and con­tradict the other; Bellarmine saying that the cu­stomarie houre of dinner is now-a-daies about nine of the clocke; and Filliucius affirming, that there is small difference betweene their dinner­houre on their fasting day, and on another day. But a desperate cause requireth such miserable shifts.

Fourthly, I say, that this dining at noone vpon fasting dayes, sprang from indeuorion & want of zeale, or from Epicurisme, & a loue of the belly. I presume in reason I may well thinke so, seeing no other probable cause can bee imagined, why it should otherwise be admitted and receiued. But I shall not neede to stand vpon coniectures or sur­mises, how probable soeuer otherwise they bee. For themselues doe acknowledge as much as I say. Filliucius saith, Oline apud Hebraeos ieiunia produce bantur vsque ad occasum solis & apud Ve­teres Christianos idem erat in more positum.— Quā ­uis deinde, fer­uore intepescente; coeperit etiam quoad horam temitti. Filliue. Tract. 27 part. 2. c. 4. nu. 64. pag. 28 [...]. that in old time, the Iewes fa­sted till sunne-seting, and that the same was the cu­stome of the ancient Christians also; although after­ward, zeale waxing cold, they began to abate of the houre. And to the same purpose speaketh Azori­us. [Page 37]For hauing first said, that the Hebrews did vse to fast till night; and that thence the old Christians were accustomed to keepe the same order, he addeth; Deinde te­pescente sensim vetere illo ferue­re, coeptum est solui ieiunium primò quidem antequam sol oc­cideret, deinde verò etiam pau­cis horis ante solis abscessum. Nam coena sumi coepit ad horam nonam, hoc est, tribus horis post meridi­em exactis, & totidem ante so­lem occidentem. Azor. Instit. part. 1. l. 7. c. 11. q 1. pag. 563, 564. Afterward, the old zeale wax­ing cold by degrees, the Fast began first to be broke off before the Sunne went downe; and after that, a few houres before sunne-setting. For they began to eate their supper at three of the clocke, that is, three houres after mid-day, and as many houres before the sunne set. And if zeale may be said then to waxe cold, when they preuented the old time, by taking their supper at 3. of the clocke in the afternoone, then we may boldly say, that now zeale is key-cold, or quite quenched in the Church of Rome, seeing she alloweth her children on their fasting dayes, to eate their dinner before the mid-day. And so, or more sharpely then so, doth Filesacus censure this disorder; Nostrâ im­becillitate irreli­giosâ (vt ita di­cam) factum est, vt ad meridiem cibum sumamus, soluamusque ie­iunium. Filesac. de Quadrag. cap. 6. pag. 437. It is come to passe (saith he) by our ir­religious infirmitie, that we take meate at mid-day, and so breake off the Fast. He meaneth, that men did pretend infirmitie, because it was too long for their feeble bodies to forbeare meat, as the Anci­ents did; but that the true reason was not weake­nesse and indisposition of body, but irreligion and deadnesse of soule. And this may suffice to be no­ted for the time of their eating on fasting dayes.

CHAP. V. The Quantity of meat and drink in a Popish Fast.

THe fourth particular is the quantity of meat and drink allowable in the Church of Rome in their holy Fasts. And for that, I find no stint among them, but that euery man measure himselfe by the belly. But that their meaning may more plainely and distinctly ap­peare, I will first consider the quantity that they allow in their dinner, and then in their drinkings.

And first, for their dinner on fasting dayes, they say, That he Excedeus in quantitate cibi, vtcunque rece­dens ab aequalita­te quantitat is de­terminatae, non frangit ieiunium. Ios. Angles in 4. de Ieiun. q. 9. dub. 5. Concl. 2. pag. 432. who exceedeth in the quantity of meat, how much soeuer he swarue from the equality or euen measure of the set quantity, breaketh not his fast. They say, Sequitur, quòd si quis in die ieiunij illa tria ex intente seruet, & tamen in vnica refecti­one quam sumit, regulam tempe­rantiae per gulam excedat, satisfa­ciat praecepto de ieiunando, quan­doquidem sub illo praecepto non ca­dit quantitas re­fectionis. Ioh. Medina. Cod. de Ieiun. q. 11. pag. 354. that if a man doe with intent and purpose keepe the three things which they require in a Fast, and yet in that one refection or dinner which hee ta­keth, doe through gluttony exceede the rule of tempe­rance; yet he doth satisfie or sufficiently keepe the Pre­cept of fasting; because the quantitie of the dinner doth not fall vnder that precept, or is not compri­zed in it. Againe they say, Quando­cunque quis semel tantum in die horâ praescriptâ comederit, & à cibis vetitis abstinuerit; quicquid aliud comedat vel bibat, siue moderatè siue immoderatè, & siue delectabiliter, siue aliter, nonfrangit ieinnium Ecclesiasticum. Reginald. lib. 4. nu. 163 pag. 154. Whensoeuer a man doth eate but once in the day, at the appointed houre, and abstaineth from forbidden meates; whatsoeuer else [Page 39]he either eateth or drinketh, whether moderately or immoderately, and whether to delight appetite or o­therwise, he breaketh not the Fast of the Church. Yea, Interrog. Quantum licet comedere die ie­iunij? Resp. Quantum quis edere poterit, lo­quendo de ratione praecepti. Fern. Exam. part. 2. c. 8. §. 2. pag. 389. but is there no measure how much a man may eate? Yes. He may eate as much as he can, for ought that the Precept of the Church doth require. Yea, but say that a man doe gormandize, how then? Qui vsque ad ingurgitatio­nem comederet, talis excessus il­licitus esset, sed non ex hoc solui­tur ieiunium. Iac. de Graff. decision. aur. part. 2. l. 2. c. 16. nu. 22. pa. 158. If a man should eate till he glut himselfe, that excesse were vnlawfull, but heereby his Fast is not broken. Well: but Sed an hi ser­uent praecepta ieiunij, qui semel comedendo tantū cibi sumunt, tot cibarijs & condi­mentis vtuntur adingluuiem vs­que, vt nullam carnis afflictionē sentiant, immò gulam impensissi­mè irritent, libi­dinem excitent tantum cibi su­mentes vnico prandiò quantum sit tribus hominibus satis ad congruam eorum sustentationem? Resp. Quòd [...]onsideratis considerandis, haec quaestio potest ita decidi, quòd si nos loquimur quoad substantiam praecepti, ieiunium non dissoluitur, & ita potest habere locum communis opinie, scilicet hosee ho­mines ieiunij precepto satisfecisse. — Aut verò loquimur de ieiunio quoad meritum, & ita nonsatisfaciunt. Iacob. Graff. part. 1. l. 2. c. 37. nu. 39. pag. 217. what if a man at his meale take so much meate, vse so many dishes and sawces, euen to gluttony and gormandizing, that he feeleth no affliction of the flesh, yea that he doth exceedingly prouoke his glutton­ous appetite, stirre vp lust, and take so much meate at one dinner, as may be sufficient for three men to feede vpon in a conuenient sort; doth this man keepe the Lawes of fasting? I answer (saith Iacobus de Graf­fijs) that if we speake according to the substance of the Precept, his Fast is not broken: and in this sense the common opinion may be admitted, which is, that these men doe satisfie the Precept of the Church con­cerning fasting. Or else we may speake of Fasting, with respect to the merit of it; and so these men doe not satisfie or fulfill the Precept. Thus these men speake for the quantitie of their meate at dinner. And their practice is not vnlike their doctrine. For, Nos prandia su­mimus, eaque talia, vt praeteritam abstinentiam copiâ & varietate ciborum facilè compensemus. Beyerl. prompt. in festo Cinerum, tex. 3. pag. 63. We (saith Beyerlinck) take our dinners on our fa­sting [Page 40]dayes, and they such, that we may easily by the store and varietie of meates, make amends for the ab­stinence that is past. But Lindan speaketh more broad, and saith that the fasts of their Catholikes are euery where such Fasts as Epicures doe keepe. To which purpose I haue cited his words Treatise of Fasting. cap. 4. else­where.

The like they say for the quantitie or measure of their drinking all times of the day. For, Bene potest bibere ante pran­dium & post prandium, quan­tum videbitur illi abs (que) peccato non ieiunandi [...] Verum est, quòd peccabit peccalo gulae, &c. Rod. Summ. Cas. part. 1. c. 23. nu. 1. pag. 28. a man may drinke well inough before dinner and after din­ner, as much as hee thinketh good, without any sinne of not fasting: it is true, that he shall sinne by intem­perance. So speaketh Rodriquez. And to the like purpose Lessius; Ex his infer­tur primò, Potûs sumptionem cre­briorem non [...]e­tari; — quare etiam si quis eo fine vtatur, eti­am immoderatè, non violabit prae­ceptum Ecclesiae de ieiunio, e [...]si contra temperan­tiam peccet. Les. de Iustit. & Iu­re, l. 4. c. 2. Du­bitat. 2. nu. 10. pag. 718. from hence (saith he) it followeth, that often drinking is not forbidden in the time of a Fast, &c. — that although a man doe vse drinke for that end, (namely for nourishment) and that immo­derately, he doth not violate the Churches Precept of fasting, though he sinne against temperance. And to like purpose speake others. So in summe their doctrine consisteth in two points;

1. That a man by playing the Glutton or the Drunkard on a fasting day, may sinne by intempe­rancie or excesse, in the like manner as hee should doe on any other day, if he vsed the like excesse.

2. That no excesse in the measure either of meate or drinke, is any offence or sinne against the rules of a Romane Fast: so that a man may play both the glutton and the drunkard vpon a fasting­day, and yet keepe all the rules of a Popish Fast. Only the question further is, Whether a man sin­ning by intemperance in gluttony and drunken­nesse, [Page 41]and yet at the same time keeping their rules of fasting, doe merit at Gods hands by his Fast? And their answer hereto is, That Si tantus sa excessus, vt pec­cet mortiferè, a­mittit meritum ieiunij, sicut & aliorum bonorum operum. Si au­tem non peccot mortiferè, non amittit absolutè, sed solum ex par­te. Quia qua parte voluntariè abstinet à cibis vetitis & à se­cunde refectione propter Ecclesiae praceplum, me­retur; quod me­ritum non elidi­tur, eliamsi in vsu cibi vel pe­tûs non seruet debitam modera­tionem: qua ta­mē parte excedie, non meretur. Less. de Iust. & Iure, l. 4. c. 2. dubitat. 2. nu. 10. p. 718, 719. if the excesse be so great, that it be a deadly or mortall sinne, then he loseth the merit of his fast, as he doth of all other his good workes: but if the man do not sinne mortally, (by this excesse) then he doth not absolutely lose the merit of his Fast, but only in part. For in that he doth volun tarily forbeare forbidden meates and a second refecti­on for the Churches commandement, he doth so farre forth merit by his fasting; which merit is not done away, though he keepe not due moderation in the vse of meate or drinke: but so farre forth as he vseth ex­cesse, he doth not merit. The meaning of which speech is to this purpose; that his fasting is a good worke, though at the time of his fasting, hee doe surfet and bee drunke: and if his surfetting and drunkennesse be such and so great, that it putteth him out of the state of grace, then he cannot me­rit by it, because a man that is not in the state of grace, cannot merit by any worke at all, how good soeuer otherwise it be: but if his gluttony and excesse be not such and so great, that it doth exclude him out of the state of grace; then hee meriteth still by his glutionous and drunken Fast. And thus ye haue the summe of what they say in this case, concerning the quantitie of their meate and drinke on their fasting dayes: Which is a most drunken conceit, and vnworthy the profes­sion of learned men or Christians. But the vanity may appeare by these considerations.

First, it is against the practise and opinion of all [Page 42] Antiquitie. For their fayings are, Sint tibi quo­tidiana iciunia, & refectio satie­tatem fugiens. Nibil prodest bi­duo triduo (que) trans­misso, vacuū por­tare ventrem, si pariter obruatur, si compensetur sa­turitale ieiunium. Hier. Ep. 22. ad Eust. pag. 175. B. Let thy Fasts be daily, and thy refection without satietie. For it pro­fiteth it nothing to carrie an emptie pauch for two or three dayes together, if at once it bee ouercharged, if the Fast be recompenced by fulnesse after. So wri­teth Saint Hierom to Eustochium, giuing her rules of a religious Fast. And the same Father writing to Rusticus, a man that had deuoted himselfe to a religious life, he giueth him this counsell concer­ning fasting; Quae & ipsa (ielunia) mode­rata sint, ne nimia debilitent stoma­chū, & maiorem refectionem pos­centia, erumpant in cruditatem, quae parens libi­dinum est. Modi­cus ac temperatus cibus, & carni & animae vtilis est. Hier. Ep. 4. ad Rustic. pa. 43. A. Let Fasts be moderate; lest being im­moderate, they weaken the stomacke, and requiring greater refection afterward, they breake out into cru­dity and inconcoction, which is the mother of lust. Sparing and temperate diet is good both for body and soule. And yet againe the same Father, Nonnulli vi­tam pudicam ap­petentium, in me­dio itinere corru­um, dum solam abstinentiam car­nium putant, & leguminibus one­rant stomachum, quae moderatè parcéque sumpta innoxia sunt. Et, vt quod sentio loquar, nihil sic inslammat corpora & litillat membra genitalia, sicut indigestus cibus, ructus (que) convulsus. — Parcus cibus & venter semper esuriens triduanis ieiunijs praefertur. Hieron. Ep. 10. ad Furiam, pag. 93. D. E. Many (saith he) who doe desire a chaste life, doe fall in the mid-way, while they thinke that abstinence is onely in forbea­ring of flesh, and fill the belly with pulse, which being taken moderately and sparingly is without harme. And to speake what I thinke, (saith he) nothing doth so in­flame mens bodies, and stirre vp lust, as vndigested meat. He yet addeth, Sparing diet, and a stomack still hungrie, is better then Fasts three dayes long. From which speeches of this learned and religious Fa­ther, any man may collect, that if hee thought a full meale after immoderate abstinence would en­gender lust, then sure he neuer could imagine, that surfetting on a fasting day can bee a meanes to coole lust, and to beate downe the body. And if [Page 43]he thought, that it was in vaine and without profit, to fast much, if a man did make amends for his ab­stinence by fulnesse afterward; then certainely he would neuer yeeld, that men did a meritorious worke, if abstaining from flesh, they did on the very day loade themselues with excesse of any meates and drinkes. But to proceed, Cassian saith, that Non qualitas sola, sed etiam quantitas esca­rum aciem cordis obtundit, ac men­te cum corne pa­riter impinguatae noxium vitiorum fomitem igneum­que succendit. Cassian. Inst. l. 5. c. 5. pag. 195 not onely the qualitie of meates, but the quanti­tie also, doth blunt the edge or vigor of the heart, and fatting the minde with the body, it doth kindle a nox­ious and firie fuell of vices. And a little after he ad­deth, Esculentiores cibi, vt procu­rant corporis sa­nitatem, ita casti­tatis non adimūt puritatem, si cum moderatione su­mantur. Cassi­an. ibid. cap. 7. pag. 198. that the more nourishing meates, as they breed health to the body, so they doe not take away the purity of chastitie, if they be taken moderately. By which speeches we see, that this ancient Father is so far from allowing excesse in a Fast, that he preferreth a sparing meale of the best meates, before a full meale of the coursest: as also in the former resti­mony of St. Hierome we may obserue, that that Father preferreth a moderate refection of flesh, before a plentifull refection of pulse; and (as if he had meant to reproue the error of the present Roman Churth) he derideth them who thinke to preserue chastitie, while they abstaine from flesh, and fill themselues with pulse. To the same pur­pose it is, that Malunt bi, qui perfectionem discretionis igno­rant, etiam bidus protelare ieiunia, idque quod hodie sumpluri fuer [...]t, in crastinum re­seru [...]re: dum­modo ad refecti­onem peruenien­tes, desideratâ satietate potian­antur. Quod nuper Benia­min ciuem vestrum pertina­citer tenuisse cog­noscitis, qui ne quotidiè paximacia duo percipiens, aequali castigatione continuam parcitatem iugiter retentaret, maluit biduana ieiunia semper continuare, dummode ad refectionem veniens, duplicatâ mensu­rârepleret ventris ingluviem, &c. Cassian. Collat, 2. c. 24. pag. 125. Cassian telleth vs of a young Monke named Beniamin, who after his daies fast, finding his euening refection to be farre short of satisfying his hunger, desired to fast two daies together, [Page 44]without any thing at all: so that at the end of the second day he might haue his allowance for the two dayes together, and so satisfie his hunger for the time. But the religious Fathers of that time would not consent vnto it. And Cassian setteth vs downe this fact of Beniamin, as an example of in­discretion, which he warneth all wise Christians to beware of. Thus farre were these truely-reli­gious Fathers from giuing way to this gluttonous feeding, and intemperate drinking, now allowed in the Church of Rome to consist with the ob­seruance of an holy Fast.

Secondly, this excessiue quantitie of meate and drinke on a fasting day, is against the nature and vse of a Fast, and the description which they of the Romane Church doe giue of it. For, (as hath beene declared already out of Valentia) one essen­tiall thing in a religious fast is this, that the absti­nence then vsed, be ordained to the taming of the flesh, and bridling of concupiscence. But he that drinketh wine to the full all day, and feedeth at noone by the belly, and eateth as much as might suffice three moderate men, doth afftict the body but a little: such a one, I suppose, might goe sup­perlesse to bed, and feele no hunger, though hee did forbeare his euening Collation. And vpon this ground (as I conceiue) one of their owne faith, Postremum, à quo abstinere iubent Canones sunt cibi delicati — sum cibi multi, licèt semel sumpti. Scio quid hac de re dicant multi, qui ad nostros m [...]res tolerandos, quam ad vele­rem disciplinam exp [...]candam re­ctiùs loquuntur: tamen, si quod res est, licet pre­fiteri, qui possit dic [...] ieiunus, qui non sit tempe­rans, non equi­dem intelligo: tam non, quàm non id esse homi­nem, quod ani­mal non sit. Ant. Liturg. to. 1. ferin quartâ quatuor tem­porum, p. 105. that one thing which the Canons of the Church did forbid, was [ [...]ibi multi, licèt semel sumpti,] much meate, or many meates, though but taken once in the day. He addeth, that notwithstanding this excessiue eating haue his patrones among them, [Page 45]yet (faith he) If I may professe that which is the truth, I cannot tell how he may be said to be fasting, that is not temperate; no more then how he can be a man, that is not a liuing creature.

And this shall serue for the fourth particular.

CHAP. VI. Dispensations in the Roman Church, against the rules offasting.

THe last is their Dispensations; and they bee of two sorts: some are explicite, and others are implicite. The explicite or expresse Dispensations are, when the Pope or other Pre­lates doe by word or writing, giue leaue or license to some men, not to obserue their rules of fasting; as for example, when they dis­pense with men to eate cheese & eggs in Lent; or such like. Their implicite Dispensations are, when the people take libertie in their practice against the rules or precepts of the Church, and their Bi­shops or Prelates seeing it, say nothing to the contrarie, but wincke at it: for this conniuence in the Prelates, especially in the Pope, they hold as good as an expresse Dispensation. Now concer­ning these two kindes of Dispensations, wee are to consider 2. things 11. What power they are of in the Romane Church to dissolue the rules of fa­sting; [Page 46]and 2. What way is giuen to them in the practise of that Church.

And first, for their expresse Dispensations, they say, Summus Pontifex potest dispensare in prae­cepto ieiunij, quomuis fuit ab Apostolis institu­tum. Ratio est; quia in hac lege ferenda Apostoli vsi fuere potesta­te gubernandi si­bi à Christo con­cessâ; & in ijs quae periment ad gubernationem Ecclesiae summus Pontifex habet aequalem potesta­tem, sicut Apo­stoli babuerunt. Ios. Angels in 4. de Ieiunio. q. 5. diffic. 2. concl. 1 p. 394. v. Ioh. Medin. in Cod. de Ieiunio. q. 3. that the Pope may dispense in the Precept of fa­sting, although it were made by the Apostles. The reason is, because in making of this Law, the Apostles vsed the power of gouernment, which Christ did grant them; and in those things, which pertaine to the go­uernment of the Church, the Pope hath as much power as the Apostles had. They say also, that the Dicò primò Papam posse dis­pensare quem­cunque etiam per tolam vitam. Communis Do­ctorum in Rubri­cis de obseruati­one ieiunij, Syl­uest. Ieiun. 47. Nauar. nu. 21. Est enim supra hoc praeceptū, quū sit tantū de iure canonico; vude etiam sine causa valida esset dispensatio. Fill. tract. 27. pa [...]t. 2. c. 6 nu. 126. pa. 290. Pope may dispense with a man for his whole life. For hee is aboue this Law of Fasts, seeing it is onely enioyned by the Canon Law Ibid. nu. 127. : and from hence it followeth also, that his Dispensation is good, though it be granted without cause. And for inferior Bishops and Prelates, they may dispense with those which are vnder them, vpon iust cause, &c. Bartholomew Medina saith, Quādo habet quis iustè aut iniuslè di­spensationē non iciunandi, non tenetur; quamuis peccaret huiusmodi dispensationē sine occasione pe­tendo: at si eam obtinuerit, valida crit. Ratio est: nam quū humana sit lex ista, potest [...]amsilmus Pon­tifex aut alius toll [...]re. Barth. Med. Inst. Conf. l. 1. c. 14. §. 10. p. 150. that when a man hath a Dispensation for not fasting, whether iustly or vniustly, he is not tyed to the Law; though he sinned in asking such a Dispensation with­out cause. But if hee obtaine it, the Dispensation is good. For seeing that Law is onely positiue, and of mans making, the Pope or an other Bishop may dissa­null it. So, their expresse Dispensations are om­nipotent against all Laws of fasting. And the like they say in a manner for their implicite Dispensa­tions, or the conniuence of the Pope and Pre­lates at the peoples practise. For, Cōsuetudo Tinelli Ro­manae Curiae in omnibus ieiunys no improbatur à Caietan [...]. Fil. Tra. 27. par. 2. c. 2. nu. 34. p. 280. the custome v­sed [Page 47]in the Popes Court on fasting dayes, is, not to be disallowed in any thing, as Caietan saith. The like they say of customes in other places also. Vt consuetu­do priorem legis obligationem tol­lat, non opus est vt sit rationabilis & praescripta; sed satis est, si per tantum tempus sit buiusmodi consuetudo indu­cta & obseruata, vt ad notitiam Maiorum perue­nerit, qui quum cam sciant, mini­mè contradicunt, quum commode si vellent, contra­dicere possent, & prauaricatores punire, &c. Io. Medina Cod. de Ieiun. q. 8. pag. 347. Nor is it needfull in this case, that the custome be reaso­nable and by prescription; it is sufficient, if it haue bin kept so long, that it doe come to the knowledge of Supe­riors, who when they know it, do not contradict or gain­say it, when they might conueniently gainesay it if they would. They be the words of Medina, sub­scribed vnto by Prax. fori Poenitent l 4. nu. 134. p. 148, 149. Iosephus Angles, that he hath transcribed them out of him word for word, and published them for his owne. By this it may bee seene, what power they place in their Dispensations, whether they be giuen by expresse words, or only brought in by the custome of the people, and the conniuence of the Bishops.

And all this were not so great a matter; if Pope and Prelates were warie in granting Dispensati­ons, and winking at licencious customes. But it is farre otherwise. For Fuit prae­ceptum de absti­netia à carnibus, primùm Clericis impositum, dein­de ad fideles om­nes fuit diffusum: in omni autem loco cibus quadragesimalis intelligitur absque ouis & lacticinijs. Iam verò est communissima dispensatio, quam qui obtinuerunt, sine scrupulo possunt vti praemissis. Ioseph. Angles in 4. de Ieiunio. q. 9. difficult. 2. concl. 4. pag. 424. a Dispensation against the rules of Lent is most common; which he that hath ob­tained, may without scruple of conscience vse the pre­mises; that is, he may eate flesh and white meates. And Papa in Bullis suis con­cedit pussim facul [...]atem comedendi oua, caseum & lac in Quadragesima, & carnem ex solo me­dici consilio, & parum deest, quin generaliter cum omnibus dispenset, vt ieiunent carnes come­dendo; sicut dicitur cum multis Nobilibus dispensasse. Ioh. Med. Cod. de Ieiun. q. 2. pa. 328. the Pope (saith Medina) doth euery where in his Buls grant licence to cate eggs, cheese and milke in Lent time, yea and flesh too, by the alone aduice of [Page 48]a Physician: and there wanteth but a little of di­spensing generally with all men, that they may fast with eating of flesh, as it is said that he hath dispensed with many Noble-men. And Beyerlinck shewing the easinesse of a Romane Fast now-a-dayes, ouer that it was in time past, saith, that Ʋeteres Christiani quoad hanc ieiunandi legem admodum rigidi, paucissi­m [...]s ab illius ob­seruatione exi­mebant. Nunc infiniti aut imbe­cillitatis aut ne­cessitatis titulo hac obligatione liberantur. Bey­er. in festo Ci­ne [...]um, tex. 3. in fine pag. 64. the ancient Christians being very strict and rigid about this Law of fasting, did release very few from the obseruation and keeping of it: but now an infinite number, vpon pretence either of weakenesse or necessity, are freed from the bond of it. So they are very liberal of their Dis­pensations, & that not only in ordinarie Fasts, and at common times; but euen in the holy and strict time of Lent. Nor haue these Dispensations gone so farre, but their customes, by which the rules of abstinence are abrogated, haue extended much further. For, Consuetudo abrogauit ieiuni­um Rogationum, quod praecipitur in Cap. Rogatio­nes de Consecrat. Dist. 3. Item ie­iunium quartae & sextae feriae, iam inde ab Apo­stolorum tempori­bus in praecepto positum, constat consuetudine a­brogatum esse, & arbitrio nostro relictum. — De­ni (que) ieiunium Aduentus, aliàs solitum seruari in Ecclesia Romana — contraria consueludo iam sustulit. Reginald. Prax. l. 4. nu. 133. pag 148. custome [not controled by the Prelates] hath abrogated the Fast of the Rogation weeke, which was commanded by the Canon Law: as also the Wednesday and Fryday Fast, which, as they say, was enioyned by Precept euer since the A­postles time: and so likewise it hath taken away the Fast of Aduent, which otherwise was vsed to bee kept in the Romane Church by vertue of the Canon. And custome Hinc excusantur a Doctoribus, qui iuxta morem & consuetudinem patriae, in die ieiunij longiores Collationes faciunt, &c. Hinc etiam Mediolanenses excusantur, non ieiu­nantes primis quatuer diebus Quadragesimae. — Hine etiam excusantur ante horam vespera­rum manducantes. — Hire Britones excusantur, qui in Quadragesima butyro vtuntur, vbi talis viget consuetudo, aut ouis, alissque ex carne originem trabentibus, quum contrarium sit iure definitum. Hinc à peccato liberantur comedentes carnes in aliquibus locis in die Sabbathi. Ioseph. Angles in 4. de Ieiun q. 5. Diffic. 1. pag. 393. Who hath transcribed Me­dina. Cod. de Ieiun. q. 8. pag. 346. it is that brought in long Collations [Page 49]at night, and made them lawfull: and custome that excuseth the inhabitants of Milane, for not fa­sting the foure first daies in Lent: and that excuseth men for eating their Supper before Euen song: and custome that excuseth the Britons for eating of but­ter in the Lent time, where that custome is on foote, or eggs and other things which come of flesh. And fi­nally, custome hath made it lawfull to eate before noone on a fasting day, to vse a grosse Collatiō on Christmas Eue, as before I shewed: as also, In nostra Hispania, -inua­luit consuetudo maiori ex parte, vt comedantur in Sabbatho omnia interiora anima­lium & extre­ma, vt pedes & capita, & omnia lardasagimina, etiam porcinum crassum, &c. Llamas part. 3. c. 5. §. vlt. pa. 399. on Saturday to eat the entrales of beasts, with their heads and feete, and besides, bacon and swines flesh also: Yea, Statutum de abstinendo à carnibus in domi­nicis diebus Qua­dragesime olim obligatoriū nō fu­it, quia non fuit vtentium mori­bus approbatum, vt ait Greg. in Epist. ad Episcop. Anglorum. Ioh. Medina. Cod. de Ieiun. q. 8. p. 346. Col. 2. to eate flesh on Sundaies in Lent, contrarie to the Law, where the vse of men was to the con­trarie. Thus, and in this manner custome with them hath preuailed, to the abrogating both of the ancient Laws, and their owne rules: and to the bringing in and iustifying of strange libertie, contrarie to the practice of Gods ancient people, and the descriptions of fasting approued by the Church of Rome. And how farre further it may grow, we could not imagine, sauing that wee see there is little or nothing in a manner left, that is worth the dispensing with. For what with their doctrine, and what with their Dispensations and customes, fasting with them is become so easie and pleasant a course, that an Epicure may satisfie his voluptuous appetite, and yet keepe a Romane Fast.

And this may suffice for manifesting their In­dulgence and licenciousnesse.

Out of all which, we may further deduce and [Page 50]obserue these Collections following.

1. That a Popish Fast, in most points of moment, is most vnlike to the ancient Fasts. For the An­cients abstained from Wine, and Spices, and Iun­cates; the Papists allow these, as most innocent on a fasting day. The Ancients had one only refection in the day of their Fast; the Papists haue two or three, or more; for the all dayes drinking is more then one refection. The Ancients did fast till e­uening, or when zeale was somewhat decayed, till three of the clocke at least; the Papists breake off their Fasts at noone, or an houre or two soo­ner. The Ancients were sparing in their one re­fection, and fed on course fare; the Papists in their set refection feede by the bellie, and choose such meates and sawces as best please the appetite, pro­uided onely that they eate not flesh. And finally, the Ancients were strict and rigid obseruers of their rules and orders of fasting; the Papists are most loose in dispensing with all men, and in all things that haue any shew of hardnesse or afflicti­on in them. These contrarieties betweene our new Doctors and the old Fathers, I haue proued alrea­dy, as I passed thorow the Particulars: but if any man desire to see them all together in one heape, he may finde them collected and acknowledged by the friends and wel-willers of the Church of Rome: who reckon vp these, not to their Mo­thers shame, but for the praise of her loue and tendernesse to her children, whom she would not chasten so seuerely, as the old Church of Christ was wont to chasten her children. Pisanuc then [Page 51]the Iesuite, thus commendeth the tender loue of the Romane Church to her babes and sucklings. Si qua in re­disciplina Eccle­siastica laxata & & lapsa est, id maximè in ieiu­niorum ratione videre licet, ac ex huius lectione libelli fatis ani­maduertetur. Sanè pia mater Ecclesia, imbe­cillitati nostrae se accommodat, cu­ius proinde pieta­tem commendare debemus. — Ad Veterem & A­postolicam Eccle­siam plerique om­nes prouocant, sed huius ieiunia s [...]a­ta & solennia vel non probant, vel ne per somni­um quidem se­quuntur. Pisan. Praefat. ad Lector. prae­fixâ libro de Abstinent. pag. 96, 97. If (saith he) the Discipline of the Church bee any where relaxed and falne downe, it is most of all to be seene in the matter of Fasts, and may bee well inough perceiued by the reading of this booke. Forsooth, our holy Mother the Church doth apply her selfe to our weakenes, whose motherly care we ought therefore to commend. And againe; All men for the most part, doe appeale to the ancient and Apostolike Church: but her set and solemne Fasts they either doe not allow, or doe neuer a whit follow her in them. And the same Author, Non est—quòd aliquis ieiunij difficultate deter­reatur. Siquidem tanta moderatio est adhibita, per Ecclesiae praxin, antiquorum Canonum perfectioni, vt qui hodie sciens praeceptum absque necessitate ieiunium negligit, non leue profectò cri­men incurrat. Ecce enim veteres Canones non solùm vin [...]m, sed etiam siceram interdixére, & omne quod inebriare potest, & mulsam ac ceruisiam. Olera tantùm concedebant in esum, seclusit etiam ipsis piscibus, &c. Hodiè & vino & piscibus vti licet. Nec ampliùs, vt olim, semel tan­tum vesperi reficimur; sed coenae in prandia sunt commutatae, &c. Quid? quòd à quibusdam terrae fructibus abstinebant olim Catholici in Quadragesuna (vt docuit Augustinus contra Fau­stum) nempe ab aromatis, aut ijs quae Venerem excitant, iuxta praeceptum Apostolerum, sola Olera admittentium: in quo etiam Ecclesia Catholica potestatem habens Apostolicam, vt & in alijs multis benignè nobiscum dispensauit, &c. Postremò, quia Canones ieiunantibus cibum pro­hibent, potum non prohibent; subingressae sunt, conuiuentibus Hierarchis, nostrae nocturnae Re­fectiunculae, Veteribus prorsus ignotae, eo videlicet praetextu, ne potus noceat, &c. Pisan. de Abstinent. cap. 14. pag. 162, &c. There is no cause (saith he) why any man should be deterred with the difficultie of fasting. For the practice of the Church hath so moderated and mi­tigated the perfection of the old Canons, that whoso­euer now doth wittingly neglect the Fast that is requi­red without necessity, out of doubt he shall incurre no small crime. Yea, but what is that mitigation, which the Church hath vsed in tempering the old Canons? Hee goeth on to tell vs that in these [Page 52]words: Behold, (saith he, and sure the thing de­serueth attention) the old Canons did not only forbid wine, but all strong drinke that might trouble the braine, and Meath, and Ale or Beere: they allowed onely hearbs to be eaten on their fasting dayes, forbid­ding euen fish also, &c. But now-a-dayes, wee may lawfully vse both fish and wine. Nor do we any longer, as aforetime they were wont, refresh our selues once onely in the euening; but suppers are turned with vs into dinners, &c. Nay, the Catholikes of ancient time did in Lent abstaine from some fruites of the earth, (as Augustine teacheth against Faustus) namely from spices, and such things as stirre vp lust, according to the precept of the Apostles, who admit hearbs alone: wherein, as in many other things, the Catholike Church, hauing Apostolike authoritie, hath fauour­ably dispensed with vs, &c. Lastly, because the Churches Canons doe forbid meate, but not drinke; our euening Refections, vnknowne to the Ancients, haue, by the conniuencie of the Prelates, priuily crept in; vpon pretence, forsooth, lest drinke alone should doe harme. Thus he: and in like sort another: Quantum de prima illa Veterum ieiuni­orum seueritate bact [...]nus detra­ctum est? Ma­iores nostri feria 4, 6. & pleri­que etiam Sabbatho, non so­lum carnibus ab­slinebant, sed eti­am ieiunabant: nunc feriam sex­tam & Sabba­thum in Domi­nicae passionis & mortis memori­am, delectu tan­tùm ciborum ce­lebramus. Illi ie­iunijs adiunge­bant vigilias, & nocturnos ad o­randum deum agebant conuen­tus: nos vnius exiguum speci­men retinuimus, scilicet, Natiui­tatis Domini. Jlli in horam nonam, imo vsque ad ves­peram ieiunia ex­tendebant, nec prandere, sed canare soliti: nos cadem statim in meridie relaxamus, & prandia sumimus, eā ­que talia, vt praeteritam abstinentiam copiâ & varietate ciborum facilè compensemus. Illi vnicam refeetiunculam, eámque ten [...]em ieiunantibus indulgebant: nos longo & pleno prandio vespertinam adijcimus refectiunculam, quae saepenumerè in coenam degeneret. Abstinebant illi etiam piscibue, omnique potu, qui inebriare potest: nunc in solis carnibus ciborum delectus ferè consistit. Denique veteres Christiani, quoad hanc ieiunandi legem admodum rigidi, paucissi [...] os ab illius obseruatione eximebant: nunc infiniti, aut imbecillitatis aut necessitatis titulo bac ob­l'gatione l'berantur. Laurent. Beyerl. prompt moral. part. 3. in festo Cinerum, tex. 3. pag. 63, 64. How much (saith he) hath hitherto beene abated of the former seueritie of the ancient Fasts? Our fore­fathers, on Wednesday, Friday, and most of them on [Page 53]Saturday also, did not onely abstaine from flesh meates, but did also fast: but now we keepe Fri­day and Saturday for the memory of Christs Passion and death, only with forbearing some meates, [with­out intermitting any meale.] They to their fastings ioyned watchings, and had night-assemblies for pray­er vnto God; we haue onely kept a little semblance of one of them, namely of Christmasse Eue. They conti­nued their Fasts till three of the clocke, yea till euen­ing; nor were they wonted to dine, but to sup: we breake off our Fasts at mid-day, and take our dinners, and them such, that we doe easily recompence the fore­going abstinence with plentie and varietie of meates. They allowed but one onely Refection, and that a slen­der one: we to a long and full Dinner, doe adde an euening Refection, which many times doth degenerate into a Supper. They abstained from fish, and all drinke that may intoxicate the braine: now our choise of meates consisteth for the most part in the forbearing of flesh alone. Finally, the ancient Christians, being very strict about the rules of fasting, did exempt very few frō the obseruance thereof: but now the number is infinite of them, that vpon pretence of weaknes or neces­sitie are freed from this bond. And from all this hee inferreth, Vnde quum dominum habea­mus tam mansu­etum, Ecclesiam matrem tam be­nignam, quae in­firmitatibus no­stris condolere non negligit, ni­hilque quod supra vires sit, exigal: exhibeamus nos etiam dicto eo­rum audientes, &c. Beyer. l. c. that seeing we haue so milde a Lord, (I suppose he meaneth the Pope) and so tender a mo­ther, the Church, which is not backward to condole our infirmities, and requireth nothing of vs aboue our strength; let vs yeeld our selues obedient to their com­mand, &c. And surely, he that will not yeeld to so easie a penance, deserueth to pay for it in Pur­gatorie. But the thing that I intend in transcri­bing [Page 54]these two Authors, is, at one view to let the world see, how much the Church of Rome, euen by the confession of her owne flatterers, is dege­nerated from the practice of the Primitiue and pu­rer Church. And therefore when they alledge vnto vs the sayings and doings of Fathers and an­cient Writers, for defence and commendation of their Fasts, they doe therein play the Gibeonites with vs. They tel vs of old fasting daies aforetime, of choise of meates vsed in the Primitiue Church, and what account the Fathers made of the Fast of Lent; but when they put these names vpon their owne Fasts, they shew vs but their owne worne raggs and broken bottles, and clowted shooes, which they would make vs beleeue came afarre off, euen from the first times of the Primitiue Church: and if we will beleeue them vpon their owne word, as the Israelites beleeued the smooth tale of the Gibeonites, then we may be deceiued by these Iebusites, as they were by those Gibeonites. But if we aske counsell at the mouth of the Lord, or if we aduise with the ancient Fathers of the Church, we shall finde that all this stuffe is but counterfeit trash; no more like to the Fasts of the Prophets, A­postles, ancient Fathers and Christians of former times, then an Ape is like to a man.

Secondly, We may note out of the former pas­sages, that they know not how to define a Fast, but so, as that they must withall contradict their owne rules, and condemne their owne practice. For in their definition of a Fast, they say, that it is a straiter abstinence then the rules of Tempe­rance [Page 55]doe require: and yet by their rules a man may eate and drinke excessiuely, without breaking of a Roman Fast. They say in their definition, that in a Fast there must bee but one Refection; and yet by their rules, a man may eate a full Dinner, and a little Collation, which proueth a iust supper, and drinke what he will all day long. They say in the definition, that a Fast is a longer abstinence then ordinarie, and that the time of refection then must be later: and yet by their rules a man may take his meale at twelue, eleuen, or tenne of the clocke; which is, I thinke, as soone as any man vseth to dine on ordinarie dayes. And lastly, in the definition they say, that a Fast, both for the continuance of the abstinence, and for the qualitie of the meate when the abstinence is ended, must be such as may beat downe the body, tame the flesh, and bridle concupiscence; and yet by their rules, a man may eat & drink so much and so often, as will breede no affliction to any man liuing. Thus their doctrine is crossed by their owne definition. Nor could it well bee otherwise. For both their do­ctrine in the particulars, and their practice in the vse of a Fast is such, as that if they had framed a generall definition of a Fast, that had bin agreeable thereunto, it would plainely haue appeared, that they had bidden open defiance to all Antiquitie, yea, and to their elder Schoolemen too. And therefore they thought it better in generall to professe conformitie to Scriptures and the an­cient Church, and in particular so to molde it by distinctions and considerations and congruities [Page 56]of a reasonable alteration, as might serue to bleare their eyes that are wilfully blinde. But a wise man, who hath his eyes in his head, will easily see the disproportion betweene their generall de­finition and their particular doctrines.

Thirdly, we may gather from the premises, that the religious Fasts of Rome are nothing but a superstitious fopperie; and a meere mocking both of God and men. For all is but an out-side, there is no pith nor vertue within: a Fast in name, but in deede nothing lesse. I shall not neede to declare this further in this place; it is sufficiently demonstrated already: and if neede be, we haue the witnesse of one of their owne Prophets, who confesseth in a manner as much as I haue said. For, Et sanè non multùm ieiunat, qui in diebus ie­iuniorum non [...]rctiùs ieiunat, quàm Ecclesia iubet; hoc est, qui edit & bibit omnia quae Ec­clesia permittit, vel quae non pu­nit. Lorich. Thesaur. v. Ie­iun. nu. 10. pag. 1130. to say the truth, (saith he) he fasteth not much, who on fasting dayes fasteth not more straitely then the Church doth command: that is, who eateth and drink­eth al things which the Church doth permit, or which it doth not punish. By which last words, added (as I conceiue) by some Censor before hee licensed the Booke to the Presse; though he mayseeme to sup vp againe his owne breath, and onely to say, that the Church doth tolerate these things with­out giuing allowance to them: yet this qualifica­tion will not helpe the matter. For whatsoeuer they suffer to goe vncontrolled, that they allow as lawfull and without fault; as hath alreadie bin declared. But Lindan is plaine, and speaketh home, when he calleth their Fasts [Ieiunia Epicu­rea,] Epicures Fasts. And indeed they haue more affinity with the feeding of an Epicure, then with [Page 57]the fasting of a deuout Christian. In respect of all which, as our Sauiour said to his Disciples, When ye fast, be not as the Hypocrites, of a sad counte­nance, &c, so let me say to all sincere Christians, When ye fast, be not as these Hypocrites, al for shew and nothing for substance. But when ye fast, vse a true abstinence, such as may afflict the body, master the flesh, eleuate the soule, and humble the whole man by repentance and sorrow: and toge­ther with outward abstinence ioyne inward ex­ercises of deuotion, examining your consciences, acknowledging your sins, condemning your own selues, as vnworthy to taste of any of Gods crea­tures; and running to the Throne of grace for mercie and forgiuenesse: that your sinnes beeing pardoned, your consciences may bee comforted, and your soules better enabled for Gods seruice.

Fourthly, we may gather, what a smooth and easie way the Church of Rome doth paue for men vnto heauen and happinesse. For these loose and licencious Fasts of theirs, they say that they haue great power both to merit heauen, and to free a man from Purgatorie. But if they can merit and satisfie in this manner, and by this meanes; they may with much ease haue many merits, and great store of satisfactions: nor is it any wonder that they talke of such a multitude of these things laid vp in the Churches Treasurie. It is a wonder ra­ther, if the Treasurie of the Church bee not long since so full, that they want soules to bestow them vpon. Yea, and a wonder it may well seeme, if on the other side, there be any man so carelesse of [Page 58]himselfe, as to stand in need of them. For he that for his soules health will not fast (as they call fast­nig) so often and so much as they doe require, is a most negligent man of his saluation; and it is pitty that euer he should goe to heauen, or be de­liuered from Purgatorie or hell. But those who heare Christ say, and consider what he meaneth, when he saith, Striue to enter in at the strait gate; cannot thinke to buy heauen at so easie a rate, nor to make satisfaction for their sins with so sleight a penance. They will thinke all little enough, though with Dauid, and Daniel, and Ezrah, they chasten and afflict their soules with fasting. Nor will they thinke when all is done, to merit hea­uen, or to satisfie Gods Iustice by it. Let Pa­pists preach their merits while they will, true Christians wil be both more penitent, and lesse proud.