A fruitful treatise of fasting

¶The .xv. Chapter.

TO fast in secrete,¹ is not to keep our selves close from the sight of men, and so hiding our selves in privy corners to abstain from meat, but not to hunt and hawk after vain glory nor the praise of men,² for our fasting, nor to seek to be seen of men while we fast to the end, that they may commend & praise us, as the hypocrites did, whom Christ reproveth for their vain glory and ambition, & saith, they have their reward, not of god but of men. We are counted before god then to fast in secrete, when we fast with such a mind, that we would fast in deed, though no man living did see us, and when we regard more the accomplishment of gods will and the subjection and taming of our body, then all the glory ⟨image 45⟩and praise that man can give unto us.³ It is lawful for a Christen man to fast,⁴ to pray to give alms, or to do any other good work before the world, so that the desire of worldly praise and vain glory be not in his mind. For our saviour Christ saith let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works & glorify your father which is in heaven S. Paul also saith, be such as no man can complain on,⁵ and the unfeigned sons of God without rebuke in the mids of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom see that ye shine as lights in the world, holding fast the word of life.⁶