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

Being, therefore, observers of “seasons” for these things, and of “days, and months, and years,”96    Comp. Gal. iv. 10. 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,97    Comp. Luke xxii. 20; 2 Cor. v. 17, etc. 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?”98    Comp. Mark xv. 42.  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”99    Comp. Matt. xiii. 52 ad fin.—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.

CAPUT XIV.

Horum igitur tempora observantes, et dies et menses et annos, galaticamur. Plane si judaicarum caeremoniarum, si legalium solemnitatum observantes sumus: illas enim Apostolus dedocet compescens Veteris Testamenti in Christo sepulti perseverantiam, et novi sistens. Quod si nova conditio in Christo jam nova et solemnia esse debebunt; aut si omnem in totum devotionem temporum et dierum et mensium et annorum erasit Apostolus, cur Pascha celebramus annuo circulo in mense primo? cur quinquaginta exinde diebus in omni exultatione decurrimus? cur stationibus quartam et sextam sabbati dicamus, et jejuniis parasceven? quanquam vos etiam sabbatum, si 0973B quando continuatis, nunquam nisi in Pascha jejunandum secundum rationem alibi redditam, nobis certe 0974A omnis dies etiam vulgata consecratione celebratur. Nec ergo apud Apostolum differentiae ratio, distinguentem nova et vetera. Sed et hic inaequalitas vestra ridebitur, cum vetustatum formam nobis exprobratis, in quo caussam novitatis accusatis.