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R E L J G lO FAS 1"I N G . 
Religious Fasting. 
Religious fasting has been practised by most nations from the 
remotest antiquity. Some divines even pretend its origin was in the 
terrestrial paradise, where our first parents were forbidden to eat of 
the tree of knowledge. But this seems carrying the matter too far; 
it is certain that the Jewish church has observed fasts ever since its 
first institution. Nor were the neighbouring heathens; viz. the Egyp- 
tians, Phoenicians, and Assyrians, without their fasts. The Egyptians, 
according to Herodotus, sacrificed a cow to Isis, after having prepared 
themselves by fasting and prayer; a custom which he likewise ascribes 
to the women of Cyrene. Porphyry affirms, that the Egyptians, before 
their stated sacrifices, always fasted many days, some times six weeks, 
and that the least behoved to be for seven days, during all which time 
the priests and devotees not only abstained from flesh, fish, wine, and 
pil, but even from bread, and some kinds of pulse. These austerities 
W'ere communicated by them to the Greeks, who observed their fasts 
much in the same manner. The Athenians had the Eleusinian and 
Thesmoporian fasts, the observation of which was very rigorous, 
especially among the women, who spent one whole day sitting on the 
ground in a mournful dress, without taking any nourishment. In the 
island of Crete, the priests of Jupiter were obliged to abstain all their 
lives from fish, flesh, and baked meats. Apuleius informs us, that 
whoever had a mind to be initiated in the mysteries of Cybele, were 
obliged to prepare themselves by fasting ten days ; and, in short, all 
the pagan deities, whether male or female, required this duty of those 
that desired to be initiated into their mysteries, — of their priests and 
priestesses that gave the oracles, and of those who came to consult 
them. 
Among the heathens, fasting was also practised before some of their 
military enterprises. Aristotle informs us, that the Lacedemonians 
having resolved to succour a city of the allies, ordained a fast through- 
out the whole extent of their dominions, vvithout excepting even the 
domestic animals ; and this they, do for two ends, one to spare provi- 
sions in favour of the besieged, the other to draw down the blessing 
of heaven upon their enterprise. The inhabitants of Tarentum, w'hen 
besieged by the Romans, demanded succours from their neighbours 
of Rhegium, who immediately commanded a fast throughout their 
whole territories. Their enterprise having proved successful by their 
throwing a supply of provisions into the town, the Romans were 
obliged to raise the siege ; and the Tarentines, in memory of this 
deliverance, instituted a perpetual fast. 
Fasting has for ages been reckoned a particular duty among philoso- 
phers and religious people, some of whom have carried their abstinence 
to an incredible length. At Rome it was practised by kings and empe- 
rors themselves. Numa Pompilius, Julius Caesar, Augustus, Vespasian, 
&c. had their stated fast-days ; and Julian the Apostate was so exact 
Jn this ohservance as to outdo the priests themselves, and even the 
most rigid philosophers. The Pythagoreans kept a continual Lent; 
but with this difference, that they believed the use of fish to be equally 
unlawful to that of flesh. Besides their constant temperance, they 
