Again at night albeit the popish fasters eat no meat,1 yet make they such a drinking, as might justly seem a costious kind of banqueting. Besides their white bread & fine cakes, they have their figs, reasons, almonds, apples, ⟨image 30⟩pears, nuts, caraways, biscuits, su• cat, marmalade, cherries condite, quinces condite, & I know not what. And besides their nappy ale and heady beer, they have sundry wines, some spiced, & some brewed with a cup of Hippocras at y• latter end to make up their mouth withal and to finish their holy and religious fast. Is it not to be thought, that these men take great pains in their fasting? do not such fasts please god greatly think you? O abominable mockers of christen abstinence. Thieves are those Epicures, which as the Poet saith, Curios simulant et bacchanalia uivunt. 2These are those hypocrites, which bind heavy burdens & grievous to be born,3 & lay them on mens shoulders, but they them selves will not heave at them with one of their ⟨image 30⟩fingers. And as y• wealthy worldlings & rich Epicures think them selves to fast well, if they make but one meal on y• day, though otherwise they enfarse their bellies with never so many dainties, even so judg the baser kind of people, that they fast well, if they eat no meat, though they stuff their paunches with never so much bread & drink. Notable is this sentence of .s. Hierō against all such belli gods. What availeth it, saith he, to eat no oil, & to seek about for such meats as are most dainty & hardest to come by,4 as dry figs, pepper, nuts, dates sine cakes, honey,5 & pistacies? All the dainties that gardens can bring forth are sought, that we should not eat the usual bread. And while we seek deliciously to live, we are plucked back from the kingdom of heaven. Moreover I hear ⟨image 31⟩say, that there be some which contrary to the rule and nature of men,6 drink no water, nor eat bread, but soup not out of a cup but out of a shell dainty broths, and herbs braid, and the juice of Beets. Fie for shame, are we not ashamed of such fondness, nor weary of the superstition? Yea we living in all deliciousness, seek to be praised for our abstinence. The mightiest fast is water and bread, but because it hath no glory nor notable fame, & because we all live with bread & water, it is not counted as the public & common fast.
AGaine at night albeit the popish fasters eat no meat,1 yet make thei such a drinkīg, as might iustli seme a costious kind of bāketting. Besides their white bread & fine cakes, thei haue their figges, reasons, almonds, aples, ⟨image 30⟩peares, nuts, carowis, biskits, su• cat, marmilado, cherise condite, quinches condite, & I know not what. And besides their nappi ale and heady beere, they haue sundry wines, some spiced, & som brewed wt a cup of Ipocras at y• latter end to make vp their mouthe withal and to finishe theyr holye and religious fast. Is it not to be thought, yt these men take great paines in their fastīg? do not such fastes please god greatly thinke you? O abhominable mockers of christen abstinence. Theese are those Epicurcs, whych as ye Poet saith, Curios simulant et bacchanalia uiuunt. 2These are those hipocrites, which bind heaui burdens & greuous to be born,3 & lay thē on mēs shoulders, but they thē selfs wyl not heaue at thē with one of their ⟨image 30⟩figers. And as y• welthi worldlīgs & rich Epicures thinck thē selues to faste wel, if they make but one mele on y• day, though otherwise they enfarse their bellies with neuer so mani deinties, euen so iudg the baser kinde of people, yt they fast wel, if thei eat no meat, though they stuffe their paūches with neuer so much bread & drinke. Notable is this sentence of .s. Hierō against al such belli gods. What auaileth it, saith he, to eat no oil, & to seke about for such meates as are most deinty & hardest to come bi,4 as dry figs, pepper, nuts, dates sine cakes, hony,5 & pistacies? All the deinties that gardens canne bring forthe are soughte, that we shuld not eat ye vsual bread. And while we seke deliciously to lyue, we ar plucked back from the kingdom of heauē. Moreouer I hear ⟨image 31⟩say, that ther be some which contrarye to the rule and nature of men,
- 1The Papists drinking at night.The Papysts drinkyng at nyght.
- 2Mat. xxiii
- 3Luke. xi.
- 4Ad Nepot
- 5Pistaciū, is a kind of Nutte•Pistaciū, is a kynde of Nutte•
- 6Nyse and fine Fasters in S. Hieromes time.Nyse and fyne Fasters in S. Hieromes tyme.
