Others not of the Society, may hit the sense of the Church herein more unquestionably, when they teach, that one who observing the quality of the meat, stuffs his Belly so full, as to be so far from any sense of the hardship of fasting, or from repressing the sins of the flesh, that he rather excites, and cherishes lust thereby: yet fulfils the precept for fasting. So Covarruvius, Abulensis, Medina, Cajetan, and others in ⟨p. 392⟩Bonacina and he after them (*)where by the help of a distinction or two, intemperance both in quality and quantity, is made perfectly consistent with the fast and temperance of holy Church.) So that they Fast, though they Dine, and that lustily; whatever the Scripture, or the Fathers, or all the faithful (in Bellarmine) say of the inconsistence of a Dinner with a Fast. But this is too little for a Roman Fast (though many that never dream they Fast, eat constantly less); they may eat a Breakfast too, and yet keep a Fast after they have broke it. They may drink Ale or Wine, and eat Bread after it, that the strong drink may not (y)hurt them; or if Bread will not serve them (though these together may make a Breakfast for a Festival) they may eat other things else after their Mornings draught, if it be not beyond measure and these both at their first and second Breakfast. O! but thus they eat twice, that the Cardinal was aware of, where's then their Fast? when it is (as they affirm) essential thereto, not to eat twice? why (says he (z)a pious construction must be put upon it, it is that the drink may not hurt them; and so taken it seems, either they eat not twice, when they eat once and again, or they fast by a pious interpretation, when in the sense of the universal Church and the World too, they fast not. Thus, that they may be sure to afflict the flesh, with a severe abstinence, they may eat a Supper too. And no wonder, for if they can excuse the second eating, it will be (as they conclude (a)no fault, to eat a Third or a Fourth, or a Fifth time, or as often as they please, but Three meals may serve them for a Fast; and so one Supper may suffice. Indeed they call it but Caenula, and will have it pass under a little name; though the quantity allowed be ⟨p. 393⟩great, even full as big as custom will make it, for that's their rule, for fasting-suppers(b), not to eat by any certain measure, but so much as others are wont to do:
Others not of the Society, may hit the sense of the Church herein more unquestionably, when they teach, that one who observing the quality of the meat, stuffs his Belly so full, as to be so far from any sense of the hardship of fasting, or from repressing the sins of the flesh, that he rather excites, and cherishes lust thereby: yet fulfils the precept for fasting. So Covarruvius, Abulensis, Medina, Cajetan, and others in ⟨p. 392⟩Bonacina and he after them (*)where by the help of a distinction or two, intemperance both in quality and quantity, is made perfectly consistent with the fast and temperance of holy Church.) So that they Fast, though they Dine, and that lustily; whatever the Scripture, or the Fathers, or all the faithful (in Bellarmine) say of the inconsistence of a Dinner with a Fast. But this is too little for a Roman Fast (though many that never dream they Fast, eat constantly less); they may eat a Breakfast too, and yet keep a Fast after they have broke it. They may drink Ale or Wine, and eat Bread after it, that the strong drink may not (y)hurt them; or if Bread will not serve them (though these together may make a Breakfast for a Festival) they may eat other things else after their Mornings draught, if it be not beyond measure and these both at their first and second Breakfast. O! but thus they eat twice, that the Cardinal was aware of, where's then their Fast? when it is (as they affirm) essential thereto, not to eat twice? why (says he (z)a pious construction must be put upon it, it is that the drink may not hurt them; and so taken it seems, either they eat not twice, when they eat once and again, or they fast by a pious interpretation, when in the sense of the universal Church and the World too, they fast not. Thus, that they may be sure to afflict the flesh, with a severe abstinence, they may eat a Supper too. And no wonder, for if they can excuse the second eating, it will be (as they conclude (a)no fault, to eat a Third or a Fourth, or a Fifth time, or as often as they please, but Three meals may serve them for a Fast; and so one Supper may suffice. Indeed they call it but Caenula, and will have it pass under a little name; though the quantity allowed be ⟨p. 393⟩great, even full as big as custome will make it, for that's their rule, for fasting-suppers
- (*)De praecept Eccles. ult. disp. q. 1. punct. 2. n. 6,
- (y)Licitus est mane potus etiam vini sine fraude etiam licitum aliquid sumere pro stramento, potus ne obsit Sylv. v. jejun. n. 9. & hoc expresse tenet. S. Thomas. Nec sumere in serotino jentaculo parum panis, frangit jejunium: quia ad hoc videtur serotinum jentaculum reductum ut non referat quid quisque sumat, si modum non excedat. Cajetan. Sum. jejun. it holds as well of a breakfast early as later.Licitus est mane potus etiam vini sine fraude etiam licitum aliquid sumere pro stramento, potus ne obsit Sylv. v. jejun. n. 9. & hoc expresse tenet. S. Thomas. Nec sumere in serotino jentaculo parum panis, frangit jejunium: quia ad hoc videtur serotinum ientaculum reductum ut non referat quid quisque sumat, si modum non excedat. Cajetan. Sum. jejun. it holds as well of a breakfast early as later.
- (z)Sumere vero jentaculum serotinum ad sustentationem naturae, est proculdubio iterum comedere. ibid. Pie interpretandum est: ut scilicet fiat ne potus noceat. ibid.
- (a)Sola autem secunda comestio peccatum est: non autem tertia neque quarta, vel ulterior: quia illa sola jejunium frangit secundum Durandum quam sequuntur recte Angelus, & Sylvester. Navarre. c. 21. n. 14. Vid. Cajetan. Sum. v. jejunium. p. 392.Sola autem secunda comestio peccatum est: non autem tertia neque quarta, vel ulterior: quia illa sola jejunium frangit secundum Durandum quam sequuntur recte Angelus, & Sylvester. Navar. c. 21. n. 14. Vid. Cajetan. Sum. v. jejunium. p. 392.
- (b)Quanta tamen debet esse, consideranda est consuetudo communis patriae—non enim est pecca•um mortale talem consuetudinem servare, licet quantitas sit aliquantulum grandis. Unde Armilla probat collationes, quae fiunt Romae secundum consuetudinem tenelli ob consuetudinem, & quia Pontifex tolerat, cum sciat: nec ego auderem damnare, quamvis isti sunt abusus hominum parum timeratorum. Toll. ibid.Quanta tamen debet esse, consideranda est consuetudo communis patriae—non enim est pecca•um mortale talem consuetudinem servare, licet quantitas sit aliquantulum grandis. Unde Armilla probat collationes, quae fiunt Romae secundum consuetudinem tenelli ob consuetudinem, & quia Pontifex tolerat, cum sciat: nec ego auderem damnare, quamvis isti sunt abusus hominum parum timeratorum. Tol. ibid.
