A09453:323
A Reformed Catholic
A reformed Catholic: or, A declaration showing how near we may come to the present Church of Rome in sundry points of religion: and wherein we must for ever depart from them with an advertisement to all favourers of the Roman religion, showing that the said religion is against the Catholic principles and grounds of the catechism.A reformed Catholike: or, A declaration shewing how neere we may come to the present Church of Rome in sundrie points of religion: and vvherein we must for euer depart from them with an advertisment to all fauourers of the Romane religion, shewing that the said religion is against the Catholike principles and grounds of the catechisme.
Cambridge: printed by John Legat, 1598Cambridge: printed by Iohn Legat, 1598
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
The difference or dissent.
Our dissent from the Church of Rome in the doctrine of fasting stands in three things. I. They appoint & prescribe set times of fasting, as necessary to be kept: but we hold and teach that to prescribe the time of a religious fast, is in the liberty of the Church and the governors thereof as special occasion shall be offered. When the disciples of John asked Christ, why they and the Pharisees fast often, but his disciples fasted not, he answered, Can the children of the marriage chamber mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them: but the days will come when the bridegroom shall be taken away from them, and THEN SHALL THEY FAST. Math. 9. 15. where he gives them to understand, that they must fast, as occasions of mourning are offered. Where also I gather, that a set time of fasting is no more to be enjoined ⟨p. 224⟩then a set time of mourning. It was the1 opinion of Augustine, that neither Christ 2nor his Apostles, appointed any times of fasting: and Tertullian saith, that they of his time fasted of their own accords freely, without law or commandment, as occasions and times served. And Eusebius saith, that Montanus 3was the first that made laws of fasting. It is objected, that there is a set time of fasting prescribed, Lev. 16. 29. Ans. This set and prescribed fast was commanded of God as a part of the legal worship, which had his end in the death of Christ: therefore it doth not justify a set time of fasting in the new testament, where God hath left man to his own liberty, without giving the like commandment. It is again alleged, that