Hanna served God in fasting and prayer, Luc. 2.3• Fasting here was worship, saith Dr. B. in some sense, or else S. Luke was deceived. Whatsoever becometh of this consequence, the example fitteth not our Ceremo. for though D. B. hath often exhorted his Auditors to worship God in fasting & praying, in the same phrase, yet (I dare say) he never exhorted them, or any ministers to whom he hath preached amongst others, to serve God in Surplice and Prayer in crossing and baptizing, how much soever he favoureth these Ceremonies: The strange bleating such a phrase carieth with it, would have amazed his people, and affrighted the ministers, and discredited his ministry: by ⟨p. 145⟩this alone it appeareth, that the example of fasting is abused, when it is paralleled, with cross and surplice: 2. The consequence is all too peremptorily followed, or else St. Luke was deceived: I should rather think, that D.B. may be deceived in his interpretation of St, Luke: The phrase which St. Luke useth, doeth no more urge us, to make fasting worship in any sense, then St. Paul his phrase Eph 6. Watching unto all supplication with perseverance, doth constrain us to make perseverance, or watching a worship, distinct from supplication: Or then, the same Pauls phrase Acts 20.19. serving the Lord with many tears and temptations, do make temptations a special kind of worship. 3. Fasting may be called worship by a trope, as being a special adjunct of some extraordinary worship, and yet not be a special kind of immediate reductive worship, or any other kind. 4. The truth is that fasting, is such a help to extraordinary humiliation, as moderate fasting, is to extraordinary thanksgiving, and therefore is no more worship, then Christian fasting: And to this purpose do our divines answer, concerning this place, which is ordinarily objected by every Papist, as here by the Rej. See Chemnitius upon these words: See Polanus, Syntag. lib. 9. cap. 8. Fasting is a help to prayer, 1a sign of humility and repentance, but is not a worship of God. 5. Fasting such as Annas was, is not a human institution, as our ceremonies are, but partly natural, when the whole man is taken up with greater, and more instant employment, exclusive of all ordinary refreshments: and partly of Divine application, in extraordinary humiliation, so ⟨p. 146⟩that it hath ground and example both in the O. & N.T.
HAnna served God in fasting and prayer, Luc. 2.3• Fasting here was worship, saith Dr. B. in som• sense, or else S. Luke was deceaved. Whatsoever becommeth of this consequence, the example fitteth not our Ceremo. for though D. B. hath often exhorted his Auditors to worship God in fasting & praying, in the same phrase, yet (I dare say) he never exhorted them, or any ministers to whom he hath preached amongst others, to serve God in Surplice and Prayer in crossing and baptizing, how much soever he favoureth these Ceremonies: The strange bleating such a phrase carieth with it, would have amazed his people, and affrighted the ministers, and discredited his ministery: by ⟨p. 145⟩this alone it appeareth, that the example of fasting is abused, when it is paraleled, with crosse and surplice: 2. The consequence is all too peremptorily followed, or else St. Luke was deceaved: I should rather think, that D.B. may be deceaved in his interpretation of St, Luke: The phrase which St. Luke useth, doeth no more urge us, to make fasting worship in any sense, then St. Paul his phrase Eph 6. Watching unto all supplication with perseverance, doth constreyne us to make perseverance, or watching a worship, distinct from supplication: Or then, the same Pauls phrase Acts 20.19. serving the Lord with many teares and temptations, doe make temptations a speciall kynd of worship. 3. Fasting may be called worship by a trope, as being a speciall adjunct of some extraordinary worship, and yet not be a speciall kynd of immediate reductive worship, or any other kynd. 4. The truth is that fasting, is such a help to extraordinary humiliation, as moderate fasting, is to extraordinary thanksgiving, and therfore is no more worship, then Christian fasting: And to this purpose do our divines answer, concerning this place, which is ordinarily objected by every Papist, as here by the Rej. See Chemnitius upon these words: See Polanus, Syntag. lib. 9. cap. 8. Fasting is a help to prayer, 1a signe of humility and repentance, but is not a worship of God. 5. Fasting such as Annas was, is not a humaine institution, as our ceremonies are, but partly naturall, when the whole man is taken up with greater, and more instant imployment, exclusive of all ordinary refreshments: and partly of Divine application, in extraordinary humiliation, so ⟨p. 146⟩that it hath ground and example both in the O. & N.T.
- 1Jeiunium est adminiculum procationu, & signum humilitatis ac resipiscentia, non autem cultus Dei.Ieiunium est adminiculum procationu, & signum humilitatis ac resipiscentia, non autem cultus Dei.
