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| Of the seasons for fasting.
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I.
(Of the seasons for fasting.)
Fasting, which ye have learned to hold three times
in the year among us, we decree now to take place, as more suitable, in
four seasons; so that even as the year revolves through four seasons,
we too may keep a solemn fast quarterly in the four seasons of the
year. And as we are replenished with corn, and wine, and oil for
the nourishment of our bodies, so let us be replenished with fasting
for the nourishment of our souls, in accordance with the word of the
prophet Zechariah, who says, “The word of the Lord came to me,
saying, Thus saith the Lord of hosts, As I thought to punish you, when
your fathers provoked me to wrath, and I repented not; so again have I
thought in these days to do well unto Jerusalem, and to the house of
Judah: fear ye not. These are the things that ye shall
do: Speak ye every man the truth to his neighbour; judge the
truth and the judgment of peace in your gates; and let none of you
imagine evil in your hearts against his neighbour, and love no false
oath: for all these are things that I hate, saith the Lord of
hosts. And the word of the Lord of hosts came unto me, saying,
Thus saith the Lord of hosts, The fast of the fourth month, and the
fast of the fifth, and the fast of the seventh, and the fast of the
tenth, shall be to the house of the Lord joy and gladness, and cheerful
feasts; only love the truth and peace, saith the Lord of
hosts.”2725
In this,
then, we ought to be all of one mind, so that, according to apostolic
teaching, we may all say the same thing, and that there be no divisions
among us. Let us then be perfect in the same mind, and in the
same judgment;2726
in ready zeal
for which work we congratulate ourselves on having your affection as
our partner. For it is not meet for the members to be at variance
with the head; but, according to the testimony of sacred
Scripture,2727
all the
members should follow the head. It is matter of doubt, moreover,
to no one, that the church of the apostles is the mother of all the
churches, from whose ordinances it is not right that you should deviate
to any extent. And as the Son of God came to do the
Father’s will, so shall ye fulfil the will of your mother, which
is the Church, the head of which, as has been stated already, is the
church of Rome. Wherefore, whatsoever may be done against the
discipline of this church, without the decision of justice, cannot on
any account be permitted to be held valid.
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