for neither Meat, nor abstaining from Meat, commendeth us to Gody: but for the Sake of its good Effects. Proportionably therefore, as in any Perfon's Cafe it is found, on impartial and full Trial, to fail of thofe Effects, or to produce bad ones, which outweigh or equal them, it ceases to be a Duty; any farther than the Obligation of setting no hurtful Example, and giving no Offence, may justly demand Regard. And as the Cafes of different Perfons differ extremely, it is either wicked Tyranny, or pitiable Unfkilfulness, to enjoin, as the Church of Rome doth, all Perfons to abstain, so often, and for fo long together, from eating Flesh; and all Perfons of fuch an Age, and fuch a State of Life and Health, to eat only once in a Day, or little more, of what they are fuffered to eat. Prefcribing fuch Rules, as thefe, to the whole World, must bring Hardships and Diftreffes on Millions of Perfons, efpecially the Poor, from which they can receive no Good, but may fuffer much Harm. It will give them wrong Notions of Religion, as confifting principally in outward Obfervances; and multiply griev

1 Cor. viii. 8.

ously

oufly the Temptations to Sin, by adding imaginary Duties, that will often be more difficult than the real ones. They allow indeed fome occafional Exceptions from thefe general Rules and yet, even did they alfo allow Perfons to judge for themfelves, when their Circumstances came within thofe Exceptions, it would still be a Source of endless Doubts and Scruples to timorous Minds. But befides the Uncertainty, whether they may in Confcience defire to be excepted, they are fubjected to the Will and Pleasure of others, whether that Defire fhall be granted; and to a large Expence for it, if it be: And these and other Difpenfations are one Fund of Wealth to the Clergy and Court of Rome, which they have ufed to the vileft Purposes. No Part of all this is founded on Scripture: nor even on the Practice of the primitive Church; which for fome Ages laid no Neceffity on any one of Fasting at such particular annual Seasons; much lefs of Fasting for many Days and Weeks together; and when they did fast, made no Diftinction between the Ufe of Flesh and Fish; but left every one the Liberty, which Christ and his Apostles had left them as indeed our own Church

hath

hath done too. For though it hath mentioned certain Times of Abftinence, which it might have been unsafe not to mention at the Time of the Reformation: yet this, being backed by no new Injunction, amounts only to recommending them, so far as each Perfon fhall find no real Objection against them. And certainly most, if not all Perfons, would find, on the contrary, much Benefit from leffening even their lawful Indulgences of Senfe at proper Seasons, and the prefent Seafon in particular. But in order to our judging rightly, in what Degree this will be expedient for us, divers Things ought to be confidered. Not many indeed of our Church, in the present Age, run at all into exceffive Aufterities very : far from it, God knows. But if any do, they ought to be warned: and though none did here, the Chriftian Doctrine ought to be vindicated from the Imputation of leading to fuch Extremes any where.

Some obferve conftantly a Diet fufficiently low; fome few perhaps, too low. Now for these, who live in a State of daily Fafting, to fuperadd other Fafts, especially frequent and rigid ones, may be prejudicial, not only to their Healths, of which they are bound to

be

be careful, but to their moral Difpofitions, and their very Understandings. It may render

;

them lefs, instead of more capable of ferious Reflection and religious Exercises: it may unfit them to go through their proper Business in common Life: it may incline them strongly to Moroseness of Temper. And though the Ill-humour, into which People wilfully work themselves upon fafting Days, is to be afcribed to themselves only: yet so much of it, as Abftinence really brings upon them against their Wills, is to be afcribed to that ; and is no fmall Evil. But farther But farther yet: lowfpirited and fcrupulous Perfons may, for Want of fupporting their Strength of Body, on which the Firmness of the Mind in Part depends, by a fufficient Quantity of Food, increase their Fears and Perplexities moft furprisingly: till at Length there will scarce remain a single Action, that they can do or abstain from with a quiet Conscience. And, at the fame Time, on the other Hand, Perfons of warm and enthusiastic Imaginations are heated by long and ftrict Fafts beyond any Thing: till they feel Impulfes, hear Voices, fee Vifions; forget the World to which they belong, and live in a new one of their own Creation. Now ac

VOL. V.

X

cording

ger any

cording to the Degree, in which there is Danof fuch Inconveniences, we ought either to avoid intirely what causes them, or obferve a due Moderation in it: elfe our Abftinence may easily do us much more Hurt, than Service.

And another important Rule is, never to make Vows, or even Refolutions that we will fast so often, with such or fuch Rigour, for any particular Time to come, especially to any distant Time. For it feldom or never happens, that fuch Things are of real Advantage. And they have fo frequently been Snares and Distresses, that all Perfons ought to be warned against them and they, who are most prone to them, ought to be moft afraid of them.

:

But fuppofing we are, by Nature, ever fo well qualified to receive Benefit from the Practice of this Duty: yet none will follow, unlefs we guard against Mistakes.

Fasting confists in abstaining, wholly or in Part, from our ordinary Food. Abstaining wholly the former Part of the Day is undoubtedly the natural, and should be the general Method of doing this. But they, in whofe Cafe good Reasons forbid it, may, by properly reftraining themfelves in the latter

2

Part,