An ansvver to the calumnious letter and erroneous propositions of an apostat named M. Io. Hammiltoun. Composed by M. VVilliam Fouler

❧ THE XV. PRO. ••It is contrarius & repugnant to the custom of the primittu•• Kirk to institut & cōmand any publict f••sting on Sonday & to ma•• bankets on Fryday.

AD. This is prouin be Tertulian quhan he wrytis of the constitutioun of the Kirk, saying we hald it as a sacriledge to command any fasting on Sonday.

AN. Since by the scriptur y^• art not able to confirme this, we are not constranit to obey mens inuentions, for Tertulian in that same place saith, it is altogether vnlaufull that vpon y^• Sonday in worshipping God, to fal vpon our knees the con∣trair quhairof notwithstanding his autoritie, is rasauit be al chri¦stians, & thairfoir we may als easily reiect this superstitloun in fasting vpon the Fryday, as not kneling vpon the Sonday, & ʒit he wryts vther wais in his buik contra PSYC. saying we mā hencfurth fast w^tout cōpulsion, of fre will not be comandimēt of this new disceplin, acording as euery mā sal se time & place

AD. Epipha, sha••s that Aerius was condēnit as a herityk becaus he eats flesh on fryday

AN. I think that the probation of this, is, t••at thy asser••iō most suffice for autoritie, shaw me the place, & I will pr••pare the an ansuer, alwaies to satisfy y^• present I ask of the as S ••y. writing to Pomp. against the Epistle of Ste. frō whence haue we this tradition? ••hither cumith it frō the autority of y^e Lord or of the Euangel, or els fra the cōmandiments & Epistilles of the Apostles? yairfor if it ather be cōmandit in y^e ••uāgel or cō••enit in the acts or epi. of y^• Apostils, let ••s keip y^e same tradi••iō

AD. S, Aug, saith qu••osomes fa••••eth vpon the ••onday selanders the hall Kirk.

AN. Bot he after his awin maner modestli•• tra••ellit to re∣duce all sic abusis to the fundatioun of the scripteur, that h•• reprouis not si•• superstitioun s••ueirly, he randers the ressoun in his 119. epist. to casulanu•• in the quhilk he writs concer∣ning thame that absteanit from flesh. Si de hac re meam sen∣te t••m quaeras, eteni•• huiusmodi multa propter nonul••arum v••l sanctarum vel turbulentarū personarum scandala, liberius improbare non audeo. that is, if on this mater my sentence zo requyre. surely si•• many things for the sclander of halie and trubilsum persons, frelie I dar not improue, and efter hend in that samin epistil. Ego in Euangilicis & Apostolicis literis a∣nimo reuoluens video preceptum esse ieuinium quibus autem diebus oportet ieiunare, et quibus non opor••eat non inuenio esse definitum. I reuoluing in my mynd do fynd that in th•• letters of the Euangell and Apostils fasting to be commandit. bot I fynd not determined and appointed by the command of the Lord or of y^e Apostils, quhat day we must fast, & quhat day we must not fast.

AD. Of this conclusioun is manifest that the Ministers instituting thair publict fa•••• vp••d ••onday & making thair banquet•• vpon Fryday, ar ••ot only selaudrous to the hail•• k••rk bot also followis the firsteps of the Manicheans & vther condemned herityks.

AN. Thou hes begunne with blasphemyis as posessed with foolishnes, & endith with iniuries as bereft of wisdome. I ap∣peale thee (blasphemous mouth) to thy awin conscience, if thou hes by reportevnderstuid of anie; or being present, had knauledge, that they maid bankets on any day: bot euer sharpely and vehementlie to haue improuit the same. To the matter. First I ansuer with Pape Stephanus & conforme to his command, quhairof the tennour is this. If syndrie of our predicess••urs haue done certen thinges, quhilk at that tyme might weil haue bene done without hurt, quhilks afterward are turned vnto errour and to superstitioun: let them be dist∣royit and abolished by the successeurs. Secoundly according to this re••l •• confes that the Kirk in hatred of the Manicheās (quha wald bring in perpetual fasting vpon Sonday as a law,)

and in detestatioun of vther heretyks, thoght it na•• wayis ex∣pedient ••o fast vpon Sonday fearing that thairby men sould haue f••llin in the Manicheans errour, Bot now that cause is remouit, and the errour als weill by our fathers as by vs pre∣sently condemned, & altogether the memorie thair of bury∣it. N••ther do we appoint our fasting vpon the Sounday as any•• way agreable with them, bot as a maner indifferent of it self, and maist conuenient for the estair and necessitie of o••r time, seing na vther day the people can be sa commodiously gathe∣red to ioyne th••ir prayers with fasting. Nather do we mak a∣ny l•••• of it, bot quhen sic extraordinar dangers appeares, as requyris extraordinar humiliatioun. And to concluid the ma∣ter in few termes & mair expreslie seing that fasting is apoin∣tit for prayer. and vpon the Sounday na man will denye bot we may pray: thair is na cause then quhy we may not vse that, and vpon the Sounday, to steare vs vp to mair feruent prayer. The Lord of his mercie geu•• vs his grace, that baith vpon Soundaye and vther dayis, we may so fast & praye, that our flesche being huimlbit befoir God by vnfeinʒeit faith & earnest prayer, W•• may obtene mercie at the hand of our God, through I••SVS CHRIST our Lord and Saluiour. To quhome be al honour Praise and glory warld w^t out end AMEN.

❧ Imprentit at EDINBVRGH be ROBERT LE••PREVVICK, dwelling at the NETHERBOVV.

Notes

• Te•• •• psych.
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• Di••••. 61, qu••a san∣••onia.
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