A fruitful treatise of fasting

¶The .xxii. Chapter.

Moreover our saviour christ also joineth prayer & fasting¹ together where he saith, this ⟨image 63⟩kind of devils is not caste out but by fasting & prayer.² To this kind of fasting doth S. Paul exhort us when he saith:³ let us give no occasion of evil, that in our office be found no fault, but in all things let us behave our selves as the ministers of God in much patience, in labours, in watchings & fastings: Also S. Peter Be ye sober, saith he,⁴ and watch unto prayer. And from the contrary doth our saviour Christ call us away, saying: Take heed to your selves,⁵ lest at any time your hearts be overcome with surfeiting and drunkenness, & cares of this life, and so the day (of judgement) come on you unawares. The prophet Isaiah thundereth against them, which despising this godly manner of abstinence, set all their minds on banqueting and belly ⟨image 63⟩there. Woe be unto them saith he: that rise up early to follow drunkenness,⁶ and to them that continue so until night, and till they be set on fire with wine. In those companies are harps and lutes, Tabrets and pipes & wine. But they regard not y• work of the lord. Again he saith: Woe be unto them that are strong to sup out wine, & expert men to set up drunkenness. These give sentence with the ungodly for rewards, but condemn the just cause of the righteous. Therefore like as fire licketh up the straw, and as the flame consumeth the stubble, even so their root shall be as corruption, and their blossom shall vanish away like dust, for they have cast away the law of the Lord of hosts, and blasphemed the word of the holy, maker of Israel. From beastly