The whole treatise of the cases of conscience distinguished into three bookes: the first whereof is revised and corrected in sundrie places, and the other two annexed. Taught and deliuered by M. W. Perkins in his holy-day lectures, carefully examined by his owne briefes, and now published together for the common good, by T. Pickering Bachelour of Diuinitie. Whereunto is adioyned a twofold table: one of the heads and number of the questions propounded and resolued; another of the principall texts of Scripture vvhich are either explaned, or vindicated from corrupt interpretation.

II. Question. How a Religious Fast is to be obserued?

Ans. For the obseruation of it, three things are required.

• I. A iust and weightie cause.
• II. A right manner.
• III. Right ends.

Sect. 1.

Fasting is then to be vsed, when a iust and weightie cause or occasion therof is offered. There be two iust causes of a fast.

The First is, when some iudgement of God hangs over our heads, whether it be publicke, as Famine, Pestilence, the Sword, destruction, &c. or priuate. The Prophet Io∣el in the name of the Lord, calls the Iewes to a strait and solemne fast; and that vpon this iust occasion, because the Lord had sent a great dearth vpon the land, Ioel 2. 14, 15, &c. Hester and her companie fasted, when shee had heard newes of the intended destructi∣on of the Iewes, Ester. 4. 16. The people of Nineueh, which were not Iewes, but forrei∣ners in regard of the Couenant, when the

Prophet came, and denounced destruction vn∣to them for their sinnes, they gaue them∣selues generally to fasting and praier. Ion. 3. 5. 8.

The second cause of fasting is, when we are to sue, & seeke by prayer to God, for some speciall blessing, or for the supply of some great want. Thus, when Daniel desired to ob∣taine the deliuerance of the children of Isra∣el, out of captiuitie in Babylon, he gaue him∣selfe to fasting, Dan. 10. 3. Thus, Christ fasted, and spent the whole night in prayer vnto God, before he chose his twelue Apostles, Luk. 6. 12. And in like manner, Paul and Si∣las when they were to found and plant Churches, vsed praier and fasting, Act. 14. 23. because in these matters of so great impor∣tance, they looked for special direction from God himselfe. Lastly, Anna, that shee might be more feruent in praier, fasted night and day in the Temple, Luc. 2. 37.

Sect. 2.

The second point, is the Right manner of fasting, which stands in three things.

The Frist is, Abstinence from meate and drinke: for therein consisteth the very nature of a fast; and if that be wanting, it is no fast at all. Thus Ester commanding the Iewes to fast for her, biddes them neither eate nor drinke for three daies, Ester. 4. 16.

The Second is, an abstinence from all de∣lights,

which may any way cheare and re∣fresh nature. In this sort Daniel fasted three whole weekes of daies, abstaining from all pleasant bread, flesh, wine, and ointments, Dan. 10. 3. So when Dauid fasted, it is saide that he lay all the night vpon the earth, that he neither washed, nor annointed himselfe, nor changed his apparell, 2. Sam. 12. 16, 20. In the solemne fast of the Iewes, the bride∣grome and bride must come out of their cham∣bers, Ioe. 2. 15, 16. By these places it is manifest, that in a true fast, there is required, not onely abstinence from meate and drinke, but from all delights, recreations, & other things that might refresh the nature of man. By this the Popish Fasting is iustly reprooued; wherein, though men are inioyned to abstaine from flesh, yet there is giuen libertie to vse other delicates.

The Third thing in the manner of a Fast, is, so farre forth to abstaine from meate, and other delights, as the bodie may be thereby afflicted. Ezra proclaimes a fast, and he giues a reason thereof, that himselfe and the peo∣ple might afflict themselues, Ezra 8. 2. This Af∣flicting of a mans selfe; is expoūded by Paul, 1. Cor. 9. 27. where he saith, I beate downe my bodie, and bring it in subiection. Now, though we must humble and afflict our bodies by fasting, yet we ought not to weaken, abo∣lish, or destroy nature; or doe that whereby the strength of nature may be taken away.

For such afflicting is forbidden, Coloss. 2. 23. And contrariwise, we are commanded by Christ, to pray for daily bread, that is, such food as is fitte to sustaine our substances; and therefore we may by such exercises, ouer∣throw the same.

Yet for the better vnderstanding of the manner of Fasting, three Questions are to be answered.

I. Question. How long the fast must con∣tinue?

Ans. The beginning and ende of a Fast, is left vnto our libertie. But it is so long to be kept, as the principall actions of the fast, that is, humiliation and prayer, doe continue, And though the beginning and ende there∣of be free to vs, yet it is most meete & con∣uenient, that solemne fasts should beginne in the Morning, and last till the Euening. This was the vsuall custome of the Church in the old Testament.

II. Question. Whether in the day of a solemne fast, a man may eate any thing or no? and if he may, what? and how often?

Ans. We may eate, and that (if neede re∣quire) once or twise. Yet here we must take with vs two caueats. First, concerning the quantitie of our meate; it must be lesse then ordinarie, and onely that which is necessarie to proserue nature, and no more: for if it be otherwise, we abolish our fast. Secondly, concerning the qualitie of that we eate; it

must not be daintie and pleasant, but the meanest food, and such as hath least delight∣somnes and delicacie in it. Thus Daniel fa∣sted for three weekes of daies, from morning to euening: in which time he ate but a small quantitie of meate, and that which was none of the daintiest, Dan. 10. 3.

These caueats obserued, a man may law∣fully take some sustenance, euen in the time of a solemne fast. For there is no kinde of meate but may then be eaten, quantitie and qualitie beeing obserued. In the old Testa∣ment, no cleane beast was forbidden to be eaten, in the day of a fast. And in the New, To the pure, saith Paul, Tit. 1. 15. all things are pure. And the kingdome of God, stands not in meates and drinkes, but in righteousnesse, peace, and ioy in the holy Ghost, Rom. 14.

III. Quest. Whether all persons, are bound to keepe the forme prescribed, in the day of the solemne fast?

Ans. All that are able, and can abstaine, are bound. Yet because Gods worshippe stands not in eating or not eating, some persons are here exempted.

First, all those that are weake, as children, aged persons, and those that are sickely. Se∣condly, they that, by reason of the constituti∣on of their bodies, doe find themselues vnfit to pray, and heare the word cheerefully, when their stomacks are emptie. These per∣sons may eate in the day of a solemne fast, so

that they obserue the caueats before remem∣bred. It is not with vs in these countries, as it was with the Iews: They could fast one, two, or three daies together, without any incon∣venience; we cannot doe the like. And the reason is plaine. Men that liue in those hotte countries, haue colde stomackes, and so may fast the longer; but in colder climates, such as ours is, in respect of theirs; men beeing of hotter stomackes, are not able to continue fasting so long as they.

Sect. 3.

The third point is, concerning the Right endes of a religious fast; and they are foure.

The first is, to subdue the flesh, that is, to bring the body, and so the bodily lusts into subiection to the will and word of God. By eating and drinking, the body is made hea∣uie, the heart oppressed, the senses dull; and the whole man vnfit for the duties of humi∣liation, praier, and hearing of the word, Luk. 21. 24. That therfore this vnfitnesse may be taken away, not onely the body it selfe, but the vnruely lusts of the flesh are to be morti∣fied and subdued, by this exercise of fa∣sting.

The second end is, to stirre vp our deuo∣tion, and to confirme the attention of our mindes in hearing and in praier. To this pur∣pose, in the Scripture, fasting and prayer are for the most part, if not alwaies, ioyned togi∣ther;

because, when the stomacke is full, the body and minde are lesse able, to doe any good dutie; and contrariwise, when absti∣nence is vsed, the heart is lighter, the affecti∣ons in better order, the whole man more quicke and liuely in the seruice of God. For this very cause Anna is saide, to worshippe God night and day with fasting and praier, Luk. 2. 37. And the intent of the Holy Ghost there, is to commend her for the feruencie of her praier, which shee testified in that by such exercises, shee stirred vp and increased the attention of her minde.

The third ende is, to testifie the humilitie and contrition of our hearts, that is to say, our inward sorrow and griefe for sinne, and our repentance and effectuall turning vnto God. Without this ende, the fast is but a vaine ceremonie. And therefore the Prophet Ioel calls vpon the people, to turne vnto the Lord with all their hearts, with fasting, wee∣ping, and mourning; to rent their hearts and not their garments, &c. Ioel 2. 12, 13. The Pro∣phet Esay in like manner, reprooveth the Iewes, because when they fasted, they would afflict their soules for a day, and how downe their heads as a bu••rush, and lie downe in sackcloath and ashes: But made no conscience to turne from their euill waies. Esay. 58. 5, 6. There∣fore their outward humiliation was but hy∣pocrisie.

The fourth end of a fast, is to admonish

vs of our guiltines before the Lord, and to put vs in mind of the acknowledgement of our sinnes, wherby we become vnworthy of any blessing, gift, or mercie; yea vnworthy to goe vpon the ground, to breath in the aire, to eate, drinke, sleepe, or inioy any other be∣nefit. In a word, that we haue deserued by our sinnes all the plagues and punishments threatued in the Law against sinners. The Malefactor in the day of Assises, cannot giue greater testimonie of the true confession of his guiltines, then by comming before the Iudge, with the rope about his neck; neither can we bring a more notable signe, of our true humiliation before God, then by com∣ming before him, in the day of the solemne fast, with open confession and Proclamation of our guiltinesse, both of sinne and punish∣ment. Hence it was, that in the fast of Nine∣ueh, not onely men but euen the beasts were forbidden to feede or drinke water; for this very end, that the Niuevites might acknow∣ledge their sinnes to be so great, and hei∣nous in the sight of God, that in regard ther∣of, not onely the reasonable creatures them∣selues, but also the beasts of the field, for their sakes, were vnworthy of life and nou∣rishment.

Notes

• The iust cause of a fash
• The right manner of fa∣sting.
• The right ends of fa∣sting.