Spiritus est vicarius Christi in terra. The poore mans garden, wherein are flowers of the scriptures, and doctours, very necessarie and profitable for the simple and ignoraunt people to reade: / truely collected and diligently gathered together, by Iohn Northbrooke, minister and preacher of the worde of God. Seene and allowed, according to the order appointed in the Queenes iniunctions..

¶ The Doctours.

HEnceforth we must faste without compulsion, of* 1.1 free will, not by commaundement of this newe discipline, accordingly as euery man shall see tyme, and cause: for so it appeareth, the Apostles kepte it, laiyng on none other yoke of certaine appointed fastes, to bee obserued in common of all men toge∣ther.

GOD is not honoured with the belly, nor with meates,* 1.2 whiche the Lorde Christe saith, doe perishe, and are purged in conueiaunce by naturall order, for who so by meates honou∣reth the Lorde, in a maner maketh his belly to be his Lorde.* 1.3

If thou wilt faste after Christe, and bring lowe thy Soule,

all tymes of the whole yere are méete for thee: Naie, rather take all the tyme of thy life, to make lowly thy Soule: if thou haste learned of the Lorde our sauiour, whiche is meeke and lowly in barte.

Therfore if thou wilt fast, fast after the commaundement of the gospell, and kéepe in thy fastyng, the rules of the gospel, wherein Christ biddeth vs to doe after this maner in fasting: but thou when thou fastest, annointe thy head, and washe thy face. &c. Wilte thou yet that I tell thee what manner a faste thou must faste: Fast from all sinne, take no meate of mal•…•…cet take nomeates of pleasure: be not who•…•… with the wine of ex∣cesse: Faste from euill •…•…eedes: forbe are from euill thoughtes: touche not the stollen breade of wrong and peruerse doctrine: luste not after the deceiuyng meates of Philosophie, whiche maie leade thee awaie from the truthe.

Suche a faste pleaseth God: but to abstaine from meates whiche God hath created to be receiued of the faithfull men, with thankes geuyng▪ and to dooe this same with them that crucified Christe, can not be alowed and accepted, of Christe.

This is a healthful fast, when as we kéepe our bodies from* 1.4 surfetyng, and our soules from synne and vice.

I consideryng in my minde, dooe finde that faste was com∣maunded* 1.5 in the letters of the Gospell, and Apostles, and throughout the booke, whiche is called the newe Testament: but I finde not determined and appointed by the commaun∣dement of the Lorde, or the Apostles, what daies we muste faste, and what daies we must not.

In the Lent season, all men for the moste parte, abstaine,* 1.6 not onely from fleshe: but also from certaine fruictes, as euery man either will, or is able to doe, more or lesse.

Porphirius taught: that abstinence from fleshe, and grosse meates, dooeth purifie the myndes of men, whereby thei are made the more prompte to thynges diuine, and to familiaritie with good spirites.

If we will faste well from meates: before all thynges, 〈◊〉〈◊〉* 1.7 vs faste frō vices, and sinnes. What auaileth it, to emptie ou•…•… bodies from meate, and our soules is filled with synne•…•… What

•…•…uaileth to bée pale and wanne, with fastyng, if thou bee replenished with hatered and enuie? What anayleth, not to drinke wine, and to bee drunke with the poyson of displeasure and wrathe? What auaileth to abstaine from fleshe created to bee eaten: and with euill slaunderynges and backbitynges, doe rent and teare in sunder the members of thy brethren? What auaileth if wée abstaine from those thynges whiche are lawe∣full: and do those thynges whiche are not lawfull? God doeth loue and fauour them that doe flee vnlawfull thinges. There∣fore as I haue saied, let vs fast from meates: but muche more let vs fast from sinne and wickednesse.

Then are our fastinges acceptable to our God: if they that fast through neede and necessitie, are refreshed of vs.

It is good my brethren, to fast: but better to giue almes, if* 1.8 any can do both, it is two good thinges, if thou canst not, it is better to giue almes. Almes is sufficient without fasting: but fasting is not sufficient without almes.

The fastes of Christians are to be obserued more spiritu∣ally,* 1.9 then carnally: therfore let vs chiefely fast from sinnes: lest our fastes be reiected of the Lorde, as the Iewes were.

Wherefore doest thou punishe thy body with hunger, & fa∣mine? which thou doest flatter or deceyue with filthy sinnes.

The sicke man doth fast, that he may haue health, the epi∣cure,* 1.10 that he maye haue a more desire to eate, the couetous man, that he may spare and saue his meate and drinke, the hypocrite, that he may be seene of men, to haue a praise.

Then he that taketh meate, and can not fast, let him giue* 1.11 more large almes: and be more feruent and earnest in pray∣er. &c. He that doth those thinges, shall fast the true fast that the Lorde requireth of vs.

I call the right life, not the labour of fasting, nor the bed of* 1.12 héere and ashes: but if thou order thy money none otherwise then thou oughtest to do, and burne in charitie, and such other, he saith not that his fast is to be folowed, although he might set foorth the. 40. dayes: but he saith: learne of me, for I am méeke and lowly in heart. Nay, Paul saith the co•…•…trarie, eate whatsoeuer is set before you: but he commaunded straitly, a•…•…

concerning money, saying, Possesse neither golde, nor siluer, nor brasse in your girdles. I haue not sayde these thinges, be∣cause I like not fasting, which I vse greatly to extoll and com∣mende: but because I am sory that we reckē fasting is inough to saue vs, despising other thinges, the which fast hath the last place in the companie of vertues.

Tell not me they fast: but shewe me that they fast accor∣ding* 1.13 to the will of God, which if they do not, then is their fast more wicked then any drunkennesse.

The honour of fasting, is not the abstinence of meates: but* 1.14 the fléeing from sinnes.

What profite is it, if we absteyne from birdes fleshe, and fishe: when as we eate and deuour our brothers fleshe?

Not thy mouth only shoulde fast: but thy eyes, thy eares, thy féete, and handes, and all the members of our body, thy handes from stealing. &c.

Let vs bridle the wantonnesse of our fleshe, and we shall* 1.15 kepe the true fast. I say, fast and absteyne from vices, therfore is the abstinence of meates vsed, that it may bridle and tame the force and strength of the fleshe.

What auayleth it to eate no oyle, and with payne & much* 1.16 a doe curiously to seke for meates, Figges, Pepper, Nuttes, Dates, fine white bread, Hony, and Pistacia? Besides this, I heare say, there be some, which contrary to the common or∣der and nature of men, will neither drinke water, nor eate bread: but seke for delicate suppinges, and hearbes shribde to∣gither, and the iuice of Béetes, and receyue the same, not out of a cup: but out of a •…•…hell. Fie for shame, do we not blushe at such foolishnesse? are we not wéery of such foolishnesse? And yet besides all this, liuing in such curious dilicacie are we not wée∣ry of suche super•…•…tition? we loke to be praysed for our fasting.

No man is aduaunced for his fasting: neither is abstinence* 1.17 praysed, nor sober refreshyng condemned. Gehe man either standeth, or falleth to his Lorde. No man iudgeth other, least of the Lorde he himselfe be indged.

Here•…•…kes liue by drie bread: but what profite is there in* 1.18 this idle p•…•…rpose: It is altogither vayne, and foolishe, and in

respect of the causes of their superstition, it is also miserable.

Some thinke, they ought to fast only one daie, others, two* 1.19 dayes, others mo. Some others. 40. whole houres, both night and day togither.

Whersoeuer in the holy Scriptures is founde affliction of* 1.20 the soule, there is vnderstanded fasting.

Shauing and clipping doth remaine, the rule of fasting is* 1.21 kept: he doth sing at houres appoynted: but his heart is farre from me saith the Lorde.

We ought a great deale rather to fast from sinnes & vices,* 1.22 then from meates. Let thine eyes fast: let thine eare fast: let thy tongue fast: let thine hands fast: and let also thy soule fast.

Let thy eye fast from all vayne and wanton lookes: let thy eare fast from filthy and naughtie tales, and rumours: let thy tongue fast from backbityng, slaunderyng, and murmuryng, and from vnprofitable, vaine, and filthy wordes: let thy hands fast from vayne fignes, and from workes whatsoeuer are not commaunded: but much rather, let thy soule fast from vices, and from his owne desire: truely without this fast, the others shalbe reprooued of the Lorde. Surely we must vnderstande, our Lent is not for fortie dayes onely: but continually, all the daye of this miserable life.

But the great and generall fast, is to absteyne from vn∣righteousnes,* 1.23 and from the vnlawfull pleasures of the world, the which is a perfect fast in this worlde: we kepe as it were a Lent of abstinence, when we liue well, and when we for∣beare from wickednesse, and vnlawfull pleasures.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Tertullian in his boke a∣gainst Phisicos of fastyng.
• * 1.2

  In his Epistle, of the Iewishe meate.
• * 1.3

  Origene in his 10 Homilie and. 16. Chap.
• * 1.4

  Ambrose in his. 33. sermon.
• * 1.5

  Augustine in 86. Epistle to Casulanus the elder.
• * 1.6

  I•…•… his. 30. boke and. •…•…. chap. a∣gainst Faustus. In his boke of the Citie of God.
• * 1.7

  In his. 64. ser∣mon of Time.
• * 1.8

  In his. 62. Ser∣mon of time.
• * 1.9

  In his. 172. sermon of tyme.
• * 1.10

  In his. 41. Ser∣mon to the bretheren in the wildernes.
• * 1.11

  Chrisostome in his. x. Ho∣milie vpon the i. Chap. of Gen.
• * 1.12

  In his. 47. ho∣milie vpon the xiii. of Math.
• * 1.13

  In 〈◊〉〈◊〉 •…•…homi∣lie of the le∣wishe faste.
• * 1.14

  In his. iii. Ho∣milie vpon Math.
• * 1.15

  In his. 8. Ho∣mily vpon Ge∣nesis.
• * 1.16

  Hierome to Nepotianus.
• * 1.17

  Hiero me to Marcella.
• * 1.18

  •…•…illarie vpon 〈◊〉〈◊〉, 64. Psal.
• * 1.19

  Eusebius in his 5. boke, and. 6. Chap.
• * 1.20

  Aben. Ezra.
• * 1.21

  Bernarde. 〈◊〉〈◊〉 his 2. Sermon in Lent.
• * 1.22

  Bernarde in his 3. Sermon in Lent.
• * 1.23

  Distinction. v•…•…. cap. Ieiunium.