A little book of John Calvins concerning offences whereby at this day divers are…A little booke of Iohn Caluines concernynge offences whereby at this daye diuers are…

The Scripture condemneth it of wilful superstition. That they stablish a worship of God therein, and imagine it a meritorious work, it is not only a foolish and vain trust, but also an utter ungodliness. If we follow Paul as our Author, it shall be lawful to us to pronounce in general, that such outward exercises wherein the chief point of godliness consisteth not, do little profit. And this ⟨image 106⟩cannot be spoken, but that that precise rigorousness of exacting fast, which reigneth among the Papists, may justly be condemned, as long as they permit to neglect necessary duties. Yea rather a man may cry unto them out of the mouth of our master him self: O ye Hypocrites, ye have made the commandments of God of none effect, for your own traditions sake: now although weightier cases do move us to speak, yet suddenly they make us maintainers of gluttony and all intemperance. And yet the lewdness of them, against whom I dispute, is unworthy to have so rightful and earnest a defence made against it. For what law I beseech you, doth the Pope forbid by his fastings? or rather make for his fastings? That a man should no taste any meat before noon, and then abstain from flesh: and to be short that contenting him with his only dinner, he should that day forbear his Supper. Moreover, this is the usual manner, that the fill themselves well the night afore, ere they go to bed, to the intent a two hours fasting may be the more tolerable: that ⟨p. 95⟩the same day they fast, because they are allowed no more but only their dinner, they cram in as much as their crops will hold: & that the next day after they take up their pennyworths with surfeiting. After they have so carelessly dallied with God, as if it were with some boy, this also they add to the heap of their lewdness, that the measurable and spare diet is broken by us. But I say, that although they be dissolute in all their whole life, yet they no where fall more grossly into a beastly intemperance, than in their fastings.

The Scripture condemneth it of wilfull superstition. That they stablishe a woorship of God therein, and imagine it a meritorious woorke, it is not onely a foolish and vaine truste, but also an vtter vngodlinesse. If we folow Paule as our Author, it shalbe lawfull to vs to pronoūce in generall, that suche outwarde exercises wherein the chiefe pointe of godlinesse consisteth not, doo little profite. And this