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The Apologie, Cap. 2. Diuision. 6.
That wee despise al good deedes: that wee vse no discipline of Ver∣tue,* 1.1 no Lawes, no Customes: that wee esteeme neither righte, nor or∣der, nor equitie, nor Iustice: that wee geue the brydel to al naughti∣nesse, and prouoke the people to al licentiousnesse and ••ust.
M. Hardinge.
Ye teache men to Faste for policie,* 1.2 not for Religion. And by your Statute of Wednesdaies faste, who so euer shal write or saye that forebearinge of Fleas he is a Seruice of God, otherwise then as other polytike lawes are, they shal be punished as spreaders of false Newes are and ought to be. VVhen ye Preache onely Faithe not to remoue the merite of woorkes before Baptisme,* 1.3 as S. Paule meante it, but also after Baptisme: VVhen ye take awaye the Sacrament of confession and Absolution, geue ye not the brydel to al naughtinesse? Do not some of your Gospelling maides of London refuse to serue, ex∣cept they maye haue libertie to heare a Sermon before noone, and a playe at after noone?
The B. of Sarisburie.
I thought, M. Hardinge had knowen a difference bitwéene Fastinge, and Absti∣nence, or choise of meates. True Fastinge is a Religiouse woorke, ordeined to te∣stifie our humilitie, & to make the Fleashe the more obedient vnto the Sprite, that wée maye be the quicker to Praier, & to al good Woorkes. But Abstinence from this or that meate with opinion of Holinesse, Superstitious it maye easily make a man, but Holy it can not.* 1.4 S. Paule saithe, Cibus nos non commendat Deo: it is not meate that maketh vs acceptable vnto God. Againe, It is good to confirme the harte with Grace, and not with meates: Wherein they that haue walked, haue founde no profite. The meate serueth for the Belly,* 1.5 and the Belly for the meate: The Lorde wil destroye them bothe. And againe, The Kingedome of God is not Meate, and Drinke. Likewise Christe saithe, The thinge that entreth into the mouthe, defileth not the man.
Hereby it is easie to see, that Fastinge is one thinge, & Abstinence from Fleashe is an other. The Nazareis in the old Testamente absteined not from Fleashe, & yet they Fasted.* 1.6 Elias was sedde with Fleashe, Iohn the Baptiste eate the Fleash of Locustes: & yet they both Fasted. Socrates saithe, That many Christians in the Lente season did eate Fishe & Byrdes: many absteined vntil thrée of the clocke in the after noone, & then receiued al kindes of meate, either Fishe, or Fleashe, with∣out difference. Likewise Epiphanius saithe, Some eate al kindes of Birdes, or Fowle, absteininge onely frō the Fleashe of fower footed beastes,* 1.7 And yet they kepte their Lente truely, & fasted as wel as any others. Wherfore Abstinence from any one certaine kinde of meate is not of it self a woorke of Religion to please God, but onely a mere positiue Policiea 1.8 S. Augustine saithe, Non quaeto quo Vescaris, sed quo Delecteris: I demounde not, what thou Eatest, but wherein thou haste Pleasureb 1.9 And S. Hierome saithe of the Manicheis, Ieiunant illi quidem: Sed illorum leiunium est saturitate deterius. They Foste in deede: but theire Fastinge is woorse, then if they filled theire Bellies.
Of onely Faithe, and Confession, wée shal speake hereafter.