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On Fasting

Tertullian

Chapter 14

About this work

Author: Tertullian

Chapter XIV.—Reply to the Charge of “Galaticism.”

Being, therefore, observers of “seasons” for these things,

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and

of

“

days

,

and

months

,

and

years

,

”

we

Galaticize

.

Plainly

we

do

,

if

we

are

observers

of

Jewish

ceremonies

,

of

legal

solemnities

:

for

those

the

apostle

unteaches

,

suppressing

the

continuance

of

the

Old

Testament

which

has

been

buried

in

Christ

,

and

establishing

that

of

the

New

.

But

if

there

is

a

new

creation

in

Christ

,

our

solemnities

too

will

be

bound

to

be

new

:

else

,

if

the

apostle

has

erased

all

devotion

absolutely

“

of

seasons

,

and

days

,

and

months

,

and

years

,

”

why

do

we

celebrate

the

passover

by

an

annual

rotation

in

the

first

month

?

Why

in

the

fifty

ensuing

days

do

we

spend

our

time

in

all

exultation

?

Why

do

we

devote

to

Stations

the

fourth

and

sixth

days

of

the

week

,

and

to

fasts

the

“

preparation

-

day

?

”

Anyhow

,

you

sometimes

continue

your

Station

even

over

the

Sabbath

,

—

a

day

never

to

be

kept

as

a

fast

except

at

the

passover

season

,

according

to

a

reason

elsewhere

given

.

With

us

,

at

all

events

,

every

day

likewise

is

celebrated

by

an

ordinary

consecration

.

And

it

will

not

,

then

,

be

,

in

the

eyes

of

the

apostle

,

the

differentiating

principle

—

distinguishing

(

as

he

is

doing

)

“

things

new

and

old

”

—

which

will

be

ridiculous

;

but

(

in

this

case

too

)

it

will

be

your

own

unfairness

,

while

you

taunt

us

with

the

form

of

antiquity

all

the

while

you

are

laying

against

us

the

charge

of

novelty

.

Notes

1
Comp. Gal. iv. 10.
2
Comp. Luke xxii. 20; 2 Cor. v. 17, etc.
3
Comp. Mark xv. 42.
4
Comp. Matt. xiii. 52 ad fin.