in the ancient Church's practice and teaching. 159 apertam doctrinarum scientiam contemplantes, festinemus supernæ lætitiæ festa celebrare, et jungere nos Angelorum choris;-eoque omnis impræsentiarum adsumatur labor, ut et eos qui paululum negligentes sunt, et nosmet ipsos æternæ gloriæ præparemus. Et homines provocantur terrarum deserentes humilia, cum Ecclesiá primitivorum Dominicæ Passionis festa celebrare.214* Priusquam stemus ante tribunal Christi, præterita peccata pænitentia corrigamus, præsenti fletu redimamus futura gaudia; -curemus diversa vitiorum vulnera, et rapinas divitum, quibus vel maxime hoc hominum capitur genus, crebris commonitionibus reprimamus. Et sic poterimus imminentium jejuniorum iter carpere. Incipient dies Quadragesima a tricesima die mensis Mechir. Ut juxta Evangelicas traditiones finiamus jejunia intempestá nocte, octavo decimo die supradicti mensis Pharmuthi, -præbentes nos dignos communione corporis et sanguinis Christi; "if adhering to the study of virtues we desire to purge away the vices of our souls, and wash away whatever of filth is in us by (6) continual meditation of the Scriptures, contemplating as it were in the open and serene heaven the knowledge of doctrine, let us make haste to celebrate the solemnities of the heavenly joy, and join ourselves to the choirs of Angels; let us take upon us (3) labour at present, that we may prepare both (5) those which are somewhat negligent, and ourselves, unto eternal glory.-Hereby men are provoked, forsaking the low things of the earth, (8) to celebrate with the Church of the first-born the holy days of the Lord's Passion.-Ere we come to stand before Christ's tribunal, let us correct our sins past by (1) repentance, let us by present mournings redeem to ourselves future joys;let us cure the sundry wounds of our vices; and the (4) rapines wherewith rich men are delighted, let us repress (6) with frequent admonitions; so may we enter the (2) journey of the impendent fasts, beginning our Lent from the thirtieth 215 day of the month Mechir;" but som, "that we end the fast according to evangelical traditions, late at night on the eighteenth day of the month Pharmuth,-presenting ourselves worthy communicants of the Body and Blood of Christ." k * [P. 632.] [P. 623.] m Epistle 2nd. Gen. 3. 17, 19. 160 Notices by the Fathers, of fasting Having thus guarded and secured the duty of fasting by its necessary qualifications and conditions, it cannot be unsafe or unseasonable to admit now unto audience some strictures of the elogies which the ancient Fathers give of this duty of fasting: 66 As that God prescribed some sort of fasting to man so soon almost as he was created", as a guard to innocence itself, and the first trial of man's obedience. Ταῦτα φάγε, τοῦτο μὴ φάγε, εἶδος νηστείας, saith St. Chrysostom; “ of these thou mayest eat, of this thou shalt not eat, was a sort of fast prescribed,” which being not observed, "because thou hast hearkened,” saith God, "unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life; thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee;-in the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground;" the earth of his flesh also bringing forth troublesome thorns and thistles, not to be kept down but by laborious sorrowful fasting, not consumed but by the spirit of judgment and burning. Ei dè èv παραδείσῳ ἀναγκαία ἡ νηστεία, πολλῷ μᾶλλον ἐκτὸς τοῦ παραδείσου· εἰ πρὸ τῆς πληγῆς χρήσιμον τὸ φάρμακον, πολλῷ μᾶλ λον μετὰ τὴν πληγήν· εἰ μηδέπω τοῦ πολέμου τῶν ἐπιθυμιῶν ἀναστάντος ἐπιτήδειον ἡμῖν τὸ ὅπλον ἦν, πολλῷ μᾶλλον μετὰ τὴν τοσαύτην μάχην τὴν ἀπὸ τῶν ἐπιθυμιῶν, τὴν ἀπὸ τῶν 216 δαιμόνων, ἀναγκαία ἡ παρὰ τῆς νηστείας συμμαχία, saith St. Chrysostom°; “ if fasting was necessary in Paradise, much more out of Paradise; if this physic was useful before our wound, much more after it; if whilst yet there was no war of lusts raised within us this armour was yet of use, much more after so great a fight from lusts within, from devils without, this auxiliary force of fasting is necessary." Come we to the Law; St. Basil tells us, ἄνω μὲν ἡ νηστεία νομοθεσίας πρόξενος ἦν· κάτω δὲ ἡ γαστριμαργία εἰς εἰδωλο λατρίαν ἐξέμηνεν· ἐκάθισε γὰρ ὁ λαὸς φαγεῖν καὶ πιεῖν, καὶ ἀνέστησαν παίζειν —ἃς ἡ νηστεία ἔλαβε πλάκας δακτύλῳ Θεοῦ - Αρχαῖον δῶρον ἡ νηστεία—καὶ νόμου πρεσβυτέρα–πατέρων ἐστὶ τὸ κειμήλιον συνηλικιωτίς ἐστι τῆς ἀνθρω πότητος· — νηστεία ἐν τῷ παραδείσῳ ἐνομοθετήθη. S. Basil. Serm. i. de Je junio. [vol. ii. pp. 2, 3.] 310.] Hom. v. De Poenit. [vol. ii. p. p Serm. i. of Fasting, vol. ii. p. 4.3 in Paradise ; under the Law ; 161 γεγραμμένας, ταύτας ἡ μέθη συνέτριψεν, οὐκ ἄξιον κρίναντος τοῦ προφήτου μεθύοντα λαὸν νομοθετεῖσθαι παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ. ο Μωϋσῆς δευτέραν λαμβάνων νομοθεσίαν, δευτέρας νηστείας προσεδεήθη—τίνων ἔπεσε τὰ κώλα ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ; οὐ τῶν κρεωφαγίαν ἐπιζητούντων; “fasting above” in the mount “prepared Moses to receive the law; but fulness amongst the people below caused them to run mad after idolatry; for 'the people sat down to eat and to drink, and rose up to play.'-The tables then which fasting had received written by the finger of God, the drunkenness" of the people "caused to be broken; the prophet judging it not meet that a people drinking drunk with wine," with the wine of spiritual fornication, which is idolatry also, Jer. li. 7, "should receive the law from God.Also Moses for his second receiving of the law needed a 217 second fast.” After him τὸν δὲ Σαμουὴλ, saith the same Father there, ' οὐχ ἡ μετὰ νηστείας προσευχὴ ἐχαρίσατο τῇ μητρί; he thinks that as St. Paul is usually said to be the fruit of St. Stephen's martyrdom and prayer, so the holy prophet Samuel was more the fruit of his mother Hannah's fasting and prayer, than of her womb. He then proceeds to Samson, of whom he saith, μεθ' ἧς [τῆς νηστείας] ἐν τῇ γαστρὶ τῆς μητρὸς συνελήφθη νηστεία αὐτὸν ἐκύησε, νηστεία αὐτὸν ἐτιθηνήσατο· νηστεία αὐτὸν ἤνδρωσεν, ἣν ὁ ἄγγελος διετάξατο τῇ μητρὶ, Οσα ἐκπορεύεται ἐξ ἀμπέλου οὐ μὴ φάγῃ, καὶ οἶνον καὶ σίκερα οὐ μὴ πίῃ· νηστεία προφήτας γεννᾷ, δυνατοὺς ῥώννυσι, νηστεία νομοθέτας σοφίζει· “ with fasting he was conceived in his mother's womb; fasting brought him forth, and fasting nursed him; fasting brought him up to manhood, that fast which the Angel commanded his mother, Whatsoever comes of the vine thou shalt not eat; nor drink wine, nor strong drink;' fasting begets prophets, strengthens mighty men, makes wise law-givers:" God prescribed both Samson an order of fasting before he was born, and to his mother a fast for his sake while he should be in her womb. 'Αλλ ̓ οὐδ ̓ ἂν ὁ σοφὸς Δανιὴλ τὰς ὀπτασίας εἶδεν, εἰ μὴ νηστεία διαυγε στέραν ἐποίησε τὴν ψυχήν—ὁ ἀνὴρ τῶν ἐπιθυμιῶν ὁ τρεῖς ἑβδομάδας, &c. καὶ τοὺς λέοντας νηστεύειν ἐδίδαξε “but neither wise Daniel had seen the visions" of God "had he not by fasting rendered his soul bright and pure;—that man of de[P. 8.] [P. 6.] a [P. 8.] GUNNING. * [P. 4.] M sires, who fasting full three weeks," &c., "taught even the lions to fast." With Daniel let us join the three children as companions, of whom St. Cyril thus writes", διὰ ταύτης [τῆς 218 νηστείας] καὶ οἱ τρεῖς νεανίαι φοβεροὶ καὶ ἀκαταμάχητοι τοῖς Βαβυλωνίοις εὑρίσκοντο, οἱ μετέχειν ἐξὸν τραπέζης βασιλικῆς καὶ λαμπρῶν ἑστιάσεων, ἀπὸ τῶν σπερμάτων τῆς γῆς τρέφεσθαι παρεκάλουν πολυσαρκίαν μὲν καὶ σαρκὸς ἐπιθυμίαν Βαβυλωνίοις ἔχειν παραχωρήσαντες,—ψιλὴν καὶ ἀπερίττητον ἀγαπήσαντες τροφήν· ἀλλ ̓ ὅρα μοι τὸν ἐκ τούτου καρπόν· θείων ὀπτασιῶν ἠξιώθησαν, καὶ πυρὸς ἐφαίνοντο κρείττονες• “by fasting the three children also were found dreadful and inexpugnable by the Babylonians, who when they might have partaken of King Nebuchadnezzar's table and of his famous feasts, besought that they might be nourished with pulse" and water, "letting the Babylonians enjoy the fulness and lusts of the flesh, and embracing a slender and nothing-superfluous diet: but see the fruit hereof; they were vouchsafed divine visions, they appeared stronger than the fire itself,” &c. 66 In the New Testament, Ιωάννου ὁ βίος μία νηστεία ἦν, saith the same St. Basil*, " John's whole life was one fast;” of whom much hath been said before. Lastly, ὁ Κύριος ἡμῶν, saith the same Father in the same place of our Lord Jesus, νηστείᾳ τὴν σάρκα ἣν ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν ἀνέλαβεν ὀχυρώσας, οὕτως ἐν αὐτῇ τοῦ Διαβόλου τὰς προσβολὰς ὑπεδέξατο, ἡμᾶς τε παιδεύων νηστείαις ἀλείφειν καὶ παιδοτριβεῖν ἑαυτοὺς πρὸς τοὺς ἐν τοῖς πειρασμοῖς ἀγῶνας “ our Lord having by fasting fortified "our the flesh which He took for our sakes, so received the assaults of the devil in it, instructing us by fastings to anoint and exercise ourselves unto the combats of temptations”.”—Of his 219 Apostles, St. Chrysostom also is witness on Matt. xvii., 'oi ἀπόστολοι ἀεὶ σχεδὸν ἐνήστευον, “ the Apostles were continual as it were fasting;" and Bede in the western Church, Genua mea jejunio infirmata sunt, h. e. Apostoli infirmati sunt a jejunio, " Hom. i. de Festis Paschal. [vol. v. pt. 2. p. 8.] Ubi supra, [vol. ii. p. 7.] St. Chrysostom [vol. v. p. 263.] agrees hereunto upon Psalm cix. 7: speaking of Christ our Lord, he describes, τὸ ταπεινὸν τῆς διαίτης, τὸ εὐτελὲς τῆς διαγωγῆς—λιτὸν βίον μετ τιὼν καὶ τοιοῦτον, ὡς ἐκ χειμάρρου πί νειν ἡ τράπεζα ἄρτοι κριθινοὶ, τὸ πό- [Vol. vii. p. 581.] a Ad Ps. cviii. [vol. viii. col. 829.] Praises of fasting, by Latin Fathers, 163 i. e. propter absentiam meam in quo prius reficiebant se, qui per mortem eis ablatus sum; "My knees are weak through fasting: that is, My Apostles are weak through fasting, to wit, by reason of My absence, in Whom before they were refreshed; Who by death was taken from them." Thus have you had a brief of what some few only of the Fathers had observed throughout the Old and New Testament. Now for the force of it:- Vitia extinguunt ista [jejunium, oratio et eleemosyna], saith Chrysologusb; hæc reddunt casta corpora, corda pura; hæc pacem membris, mentibus dant quietem ; -per hæc in templum Dei pectora humana consurgunt; hæc hominem præstant Angelum ;—per hæc Elias nescit mortem, relinquit terras,-commoratur Angelis, convivit Deo; et terrenus hospes supernas possidet mansiones ;-jejunium Eliam levavit ad cœlum, et purificato sic corpori ignei currûs addixit obsequium; —ajejunium, fratres, scimus esse Dei arcem, Christi castra, murum spiritûs, vexillum fidei, castitatis signum, sanctitatis trophæum; "these things," fasting, alms, and prayer, "extinguish vices, render bodies chaste, and hearts pure; peace to the members, and quiet to minds; by these human breasts 220 are raised into a temple of God; these render the man an Angel; by these Elias knows not death, leaves the earth, abides with Angels, lives with God; and a stranger come from earth possesses the mansions above ;-fasting lifted him up to heaven, and to his body so purified offered the service of a fiery chariot;-fasting, my brethren, we know to be the watchtower of God, the camp of Christ, the bulwark of the Spirit, the ensign of faith, the colours of chastity, the trophy of sanctity." Like sayings hath St. Ambrose'; Castra enim nobis sunt nostra jejunia, quæ nos a diabolica oppugnatione defendunt. Denique stationes vocantur, quod stantes et commo Also St. Ambrose lib. de jejunio, et Elia, c. 3. [vol. i. p. 537.] Jejunium refectio animæ, cibus mentis, vita angelorum, culpæ mors. It is (saith St. Ephrem de jejunio c. 9.) [p. 17.] Vehiculum ad cœlum [ut Eliæ olim]; bonæ animæ custodia, [malæ medicina ;] prophetas suscitat, tentationes retundit, [ad certamen inungit.] f In his 21st Sermon, [vol. ii. Append. col. 418.] • ["Bona," Ed.] |