Master Bezaes sermons upon the three chapters of the canticle of canticlesMaster Bezaes sermons vpon the three chapters of the canticle of canticles

3 If hereupon it be replied that there are some truly religious who go woolward and in hair, live hardly and austerely, whip and scourge themselves in good earnest: though we granted them all this, and that they did an hundred times more then is reported of them, yet come they nothing near Baals priests who cut and sliced themselves with razors having crying out from morning until noon, whom Elijah notwithstanding with full mouth mocketh 3. Kings. 18.27. or the religious Mahometans of divers sorts and fashions. And how ever it be, if austerity of life were an essential mark of true religion & holiness▪ (as the poor & simple people bear themselves in hand it is) then were saint John Baptist to be preferred before Christ Math. 3.4. not that we blame or discommend temperance, as neither the exercise required to tame and subdue this body of ours which rebelleth against the spirit. But contrariwise we say, that such ought the life of every Christian to be, and we confess that we fail in the other extreme, as if having taken ⟨p. 379⟩away the superstitious distinction of days and meats, we had forbidden men to fast, to give themselves to prayer and all holy exercises: not as if we had commanded every day to eat fish and flesh. We say therefore in sum, that for a man to feed his horse moderately, yea to make him to fast, when, and so as need requireth (for fearing least fatted at too much ease, he wax headstrong and fall to kicking and flinging, in stead of carrying his rider well and quietly) is far an other thing, then by hard and evil handling of him to make him utterly unprofitable, in such sort that he fainteth & falleth flat under a man, or cannot but with much ado, set one foot before an other, when a man would use him. Moreover we ad that it is an unjust and intolerable thing to make the rules of such exercises certain and general, which thing was never appointed by the word of God, nor practised in the christian Church so long as it continued in her purity, seeing that under the yoke of the law it self there was but one fasting day appointed generally to be observed every year. I ad further, that whereas the best & the most excellentest works which the holy Ghost worketh in those who are most holy, cannot be taken in account for satisfaction of our gilt, or payment of our sins before God: