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madness? Therefore, from that source, even in this particular matter they do not see the truth, so that they are always, for the most part, in error and, instead of the proper correction, celebrate the Passover a second time in the same year. For what reason then should we follow these men, who are acknowledged to be afflicted with a terrible error? For we would never tolerate celebrating the Passover a second time in one year. But even if these things were not so, your sagacity ought always, through diligence and prayer, to have it that the purity of your soul should appear to have no communion in any respect with the customs of utterly wicked men. 3.18.5 In addition to these things, it is also possible to see that in so great a matter and such a religious festival, it is unlawful for disagreement to exist. For our Savior has handed down to us one day of our freedom, that is, the day of His most holy passion, and He has willed that His catholic church be one, whose members, even if they are dispersed into many and various places, are nevertheless nourished by one spirit, that is, by the 3.18.6 divine will. Let the sagacity of your holiness consider how dreadful and unseemly it is that on the same days some should be occupied with fasts, while others are celebrating banquets; and that after the days of Passover some should be engaged in feasts and relaxations, while others are given up to the appointed fasts. For this reason, therefore, divine Providence wills that this should receive the fitting correction and be guided to one form, as I myself believe all perceive. 3.19.1 Therefore, since it was fitting that this be so corrected that we should have nothing in common with that nation of parricides and Lord-slayers, and there is a seemly order which all the churches of the western, southern, and northern parts of the world observe, and some of the places in the East, for which reason all have on the present occasion judged it right, and I myself have promised that it would be pleasing to your sagacity, that whatever is observed with one and a harmonious mind in the city of the Romans, and Italy and all of Africa, Egypt, the Spains, the Gauls, the Britains, the Libyas, all of Greece, and the dioceses of Asia, Pontus, and Cilicia, this your wisdom may also gladly accept, considering not only that the number of churches in the aforementioned places is greater, but also that it is most holy for all to desire in common what sound reason seems to demand and to have no communion with the perjury of the Jews. 3.19.2 But to state the chief point briefly, it was resolved by the common judgment of all that the most holy feast of Passover should be celebrated on one and the same day. For it is not fitting that there should be any difference in so great a holiness, and it is better to follow that opinion in which there will be no admixture of another's error and sin. 3.20.1 These things being so, gladly receive the heavenly grace and truly divine commandment; for whatever is done in the holy councils of the bishops, this has reference to the divine 3.20.2 will. Therefore, having made known the things written above to all our beloved brethren, you ought now to receive and put in order the aforesaid rule and the observance of the most holy day, so that when I come to the long-desired sight of your company, I may be able to celebrate the holy feast with you on one and the same day, and for all things rejoice with you, seeing that the cruelty of the devil has been destroyed by the divine power through our actions, while our faith and peace and concord flourish everywhere. May God keep you safe, beloved brethren. 3.20.3 The emperor sent an equivalent copy of this letter to each province, offering to those who should read it a reflection of the utter purity of his own mind's piety toward the divine. 3.21.1 And when the synod was finally about to dissolve, he delivered a farewell address to the bishops, having called them all together on one day,

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μανία; ἐκεῖθεν τοίνυν κἀν τούτῳ τῷ μέρει τὴν ἀλήθειαν οὐχ ὁρῶσιν, ὡς ἀεὶ κατὰ τὸ πλεῖστον αὐτοὺς πλανωμένους ἀντὶ τῆς προσηκούσης ἐπανορθώσεως ἐν τῷ αὐτῷ ἔτει δεύτερον τὸ πάσχα ἐπιτελεῖν. τίνος οὖν χάριν τούτοις ἑπόμεθα, οὓς δεινὴν πλάνην νοσεῖν ὡμολόγηται; δεύτερον γὰρ τὸ πάσχα ἐν ἑνὶ ἐνιαυτῷ οὐκ ἄν ποτε ποιεῖν ἀνεξόμεθα. ἀλλ' εἰ καὶ ταῦτα μὴ προὔκειτο, τὴν ὑμετέραν ἀγχίνοιαν ἐχρῆν καὶ διὰ σπουδῆς καὶ δι' εὐχῆς ἔχειν πάντοτε, ἐν μηδενὸς ὁμοιότητι τὸ καθαρὸν τῆς ὑμετέρας ψυχῆς κοινωνεῖν δοκεῖν ἀνθρώπων ἔθεσι παγκάκων. 3.18.5 Πρὸς τούτοις κἀκεῖνο πάρεστι συνορᾶν, ὡς ἐν τηλικούτῳ πράγματι καὶ τοιαύτῃ θρησκείας ἑορτῇ διαφωνίαν ὑπάρχειν ἐστὶν ἀθέμιτον. μίαν γὰρ ἡμῖν τὴν τῆς ἡμετέρας ἐλευθερίας ἡμέραν, τουτέστιν τὴν τοῦ ἁγιωτάτου πάθους, ὁ ἡμέτερος παρέδωκε σωτήρ, καὶ μίαν εἶναι τὴν καθολικὴν αὐτοῦ ἐκκλησίαν βεβούληται, ἧς εἰ καὶ τὰ μάλιστα εἰς πολλοὺς καὶ διαφόρους τόπους τὰ μέρη διῄρηται, ἀλλ' ὅμως ἑνὶ πνεύματι, τουτέστι τῷ 3.18.6 θείῳ βουλήματι, θάλπεται. λογισάσθω δ' ἡ τῆς ὑμετέρας ὁσιότητος ἀγχίνοια, ὅπως ἐστὶ δεινόν τε καὶ ἀπρεπὲς κατὰ τὰς αὐτὰς ἡμέρας ἑτέρους μὲν ταῖς νηστείαις σχολάζειν, ἑτέρους δὲ συμπόσια συντελεῖν, καὶ μετὰ τὰς τοῦ πάσχα ἡμέρας ἄλλους μὲν ἐν ἑορταῖς καὶ ἀνέσεσιν ἐξετάζεσθαι, ἄλλους δὲ ταῖς ὡρισμέναις ἐκδεδόσθαι νηστείαις. διὰ τοῦτο γοῦν τῆς προσηκούσης ἐπανορθώσεως τυχεῖν καὶ πρὸς μίαν διατύπωσιν ἄγεσθαι τοῦτο ἡ θεία πρόνοια βούλεται, ὡς ἔγωγε ἅπαντας ἡγοῦμαι συνορᾶν. 3.19.1 Ὅθεν ἐπειδὴ τοῦτο οὕτως ἐπανορθοῦσθαι προσῆκεν, ὡς μηδὲν μετὰ τοῦ τῶν πατροκτόνων τε καὶ κυριοκτόνων ἐκείνων ἔθνους εἶναι κοινόν, ἔστι δὲ τάξις εὐπρεπής, ἣν πᾶσαι αἱ τῶν δυτικῶν τε καὶ μεσημβρινῶν καὶ ἀρκτῴων τῆς οἰκουμένης μερῶν παραφυλάττουσιν ἐκκλησίαι καί τινες τῶν κατὰ τὴν ἑῴαν τόπων, οὗ ἕνεκεν ἐπὶ τοῦ παρόντος καλῶς ἔχειν ἅπαντες ἡγήσαντο, καὶ αὐτὸς δὲ τῇ ὑμετέρᾳ ἀγχινοίᾳ ἀρέσειν ὑπεσχόμην, ἵν' ὅπερ δ' ἂν κατὰ τὴν Ῥωμαίων πόλιν Ἰταλίαν τε καὶ Ἀφρικὴνἅπασαν, Αἴγυπτον, Σπανίας, Γαλλίας, Βρεττανίας, Λιβύας, ὅλην Ἑλλάδα, Ἀσιανήν τε διοίκησιν καὶ Ποντικὴν καὶ Κιλικίαν μιᾷ καὶ συμφώνῳ φυλάττεται γνώμῃ, ἀσμένως τοῦτο καὶ ἡ ὑμετέρα προσδέξηται σύνεσις, λογιζομένη ὡς οὐ μόνον πλείων ἐστὶν ὁ τῶν κατὰ τοὺς προειρημένους τόπους ἐκκλησιῶν ἀριθμός, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὡς τοῦτο μάλιστα κοινῇ πάντας ὁσιώτατόν ἐστι βούλεσθαι, ὅπερ καὶ ὁ ἀκριβὴς λόγος ἀπαιτεῖν δοκεῖ καὶ οὐδεμίαν μετὰ τῆς Ἰουδαίων ἐπιορκίας ἔχειν κοινωνίαν. 3.19.2 Ἵνα δὲ τὸ κεφαλαιωδέστατον συντόμως εἴπω, κοινῇ πάντων ἤρεσε κρίσει τὴν ἁγιωτάτην τοῦ πάσχα ἑορτὴν μιᾷ καὶ τῇ αὐτῇ ἡμέρᾳ συντελεῖσθαι. οὐδὲ γὰρ πρέπει ἐν τοσαύτῃ ἁγιότητι εἶναί τινα διαφοράν, καὶ κάλλιον ἕπεσθαι τῇ γνώμῃ ταύτῃ, ἐν ᾗ οὐδεμία ἔσται ἀλλοτρίας πλάνης καὶ ἁμαρτήματος ἐπιμιξία. 3.20.1 Τούτων οὖν οὕτως ἐχόντων, ἀσμένως δέχεσθε τὴν οὐρανίαν χάριν καὶ θείαν ὡς ἀληθῶς ἐντολήν· πᾶν γὰρ ὅτι δ' ἂν ἐν τοῖς ἁγίοις τῶν ἐπισκόπων συνεδρίοις πράττηται, τοῦτο πρὸς τὴν θείαν βούλησιν ἔχει τὴν 3.20.2 ἀναφοράν. διὸ πᾶσι τοῖς ἀπαγητοῖς ἡμῶν ἀδελφοῖς ἐμφανίσαντες τὰ προγεγραμμένα, ἤδη καὶ τὸν προειρημένον λόγον καὶ τὴν παρατήρησιν τῆς ἁγιωτάτης ἡμέρας ὑποδέχεσθαί τε καὶ διατάττειν ὀφείλετε, ἵνα ἐπειδὰν πρὸς τὴν πάλαι μοι ποθουμένην τῆς ὑμετέρας διαθέσεως ὄψιν ἀφίκωμαι, ἐν μιᾷ καὶ τῇ αὐτῇ ἡμέρᾳ τὴν ἁγίαν μεθ' ὑμῶν ἑορτὴν ἐπιτελέσαι δυνηθῶ καὶ πάντων ἕνεκεν μεθ' ὑμῶν εὐδοκήσω, συνορῶν τὴν διαβολικὴν ὠμότητα ὑπὸ τῆς θείας δυνάμεως διὰ τῶν ἡμετέρων πράξεων ἀνῃρημένην, ἀκμαζούσης πανταχοῦ τῆς ἡμετέρας πίστεως καὶ εἰρήνης καὶ ὁμονοίας. Ὁ θεὸς ὑμᾶς διαφυλάξοι, ἀδελφοὶ ἀγαπητοί. 3.20.3 Ταύτης βασιλεὺς τῆς ἐπιστολῆς ἰσοδυναμοῦσαν γραφὴν ἐφ' ἑκάστης ἐπαρχίας διεπέμπετο, ἐνοπτρίζεσθαι τῆς αὐτοῦ διανοίας τὸ καθαρώτατον τῆς πρὸς τὸ θεῖον ὁσίας παρέχων τοῖς ἐντυγχάνουσιν. 3.21.1 Ἐπειδὴ δὲ λοιπὸν ἡ σύνοδος ἀναλύειν ἤμελλε, συντακτικὴν μὲν τοῖς ἐπισκόποις παρεῖχεν ὁμιλίαν, ὁμοῦ μὲν ἅπαντας ὑπὸ μίαν συγκαλέσας ἡμέραν,