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to the Father for the creation of all things; believing in this one you will live, but disbelieving you will be punished. «For he who does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.» Therefore after you have celebrated Pentecost, celebrate one week, and after that fast one; for it is right both to rejoice for the gift from God and to fast after the relaxation. For both Moses and Elijah fasted forty days, and Daniel for three weeks of days did not eat desirable bread, and meat and wine did not enter his mouth. And the blessed Hannah, asking for Samuel, says: «I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, and I pour out my soul before the Lord.» And the Ninevites, having fasted three days and three nights, escaped the experience of wrath, and Esther and Mordecai and Judith, by fasting, escaped the revolt of the impious Holofernes and Haman. And David says: «My knees are weakened from fasting, and my flesh is changed for lack of oil.» Therefore, you also, when you fast, ask your petitions from God. But after the week of fasting, we command you to fast every Wednesday and every Friday, and to supply the poor with the surplus of your fast. However, on every Sabbath except one and every Lord's day, when you hold your assemblies, rejoice; for he who fasts on the Lord's day, being the day of resurrection, will be guilty of sin, or on Pentecost or on any festival day of the Lord is downcast; for on them it is necessary to rejoice, but not to mourn.

BOOK 6 Concerning schisms b. That it is not lawful to rise up against either kings or priests. c. Concerning the virtue of Moses and the unbelief of the Jewish nation, and the wonders God worked through him. d. That he does not make a schism who separates from the impious, but he who departs from the pious. e. For what reason the falsely-named Israel was cast off, a proof from prophetic predictions. f. Concerning Jewish heresies. g. From where the heresies among Christians sprang up, and who has become the leader of their impiety.

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Πατρὶ εἰς τὴν τῶν ὅλων δημιουργίαν· τούτῳ πιστεύοντες ζήσεσθε, ἀπιστοῦντες δὲ κολασθήσεσθε. «Ὁ γὰρ ἀπειθῶν τῷ Υἱῷ οὐκ ὄψεται τὴν ζωήν, ἀλλ' ἡ ὀργὴ τοῦ Θεοῦ μένει ἐπ' αὐτόν.» Μετὰ οὖν τὸ ἑορτάσαι ὑμᾶς τὴν πεντηκοστὴν ἑορτά σατε μίαν ἑβδομάδα, καὶ μετ' ἐκείνην νηστεύσατε μίαν· δίκαιον γὰρ καὶ εὐφρανθῆναι ἐπὶ τῇ ἐκ Θεοῦ δωρεᾷ καὶ νηστεῦσαι μετὰ τὴν ἄνεσιν. Καὶ γὰρ καὶ Μωϋσῆς καὶ Ἠλίας ἐνήστευσαν τεσσαράκοντα ἡμέρας, καὶ ∆ανιὴλ τρεῖς ἑβδομάδας ἡμερῶν ἄρτον ἐπιθυμιῶν οὐκ ἔφαγεν, καὶ κρέας καὶ οἶνος οὐκ εἰσῆλθεν εἰς τὸ στόμα αὐτοῦ. Καὶ ἡ μακαρία Ἄννα αἰτουμένη τὸν Σαμουὴλ λέγει· «Oἶνον καὶ σίκερα οὐ πέπωκα, καὶ ἐκχεῶ τὴν ψυχήν μου ἐνώπιον Κυρίου.» Καὶ Νινευῖται, νηστεύσαντες τρεῖς ἡμέρας καὶ τρεῖς νύκτας, τῆς ὀργῆς τὴν πεῖραν ἀπέφυγον, καὶ Ἐσθὴρ καὶ Μαρδοχαῖος καὶ Ἰουδὶθ τὴν τῶν ἀσεβῶν ἐπανάστασιν νηστεύσαντες ἀπέφυγον Ὀλοφέρνου καὶ Ἀμάν. Καὶ ∆αυὶδ λέγει· «Τὰ γόνατά μου ἠσθένησαν ἀπὸ νηστείας, καὶ ἡ σάρξ μου ἠλλοιώθη δι' ἔλαιον.» Καὶ ὑμεῖς οὖν νηστεύ οντες αἰτεῖσθε παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ τὰ αἰτήματα ὑμῶν. Μετὰ δὲ τὴν ἑβδομάδα τῆς νηστείας πᾶσαν τετράδα καὶ πᾶσαν παρασκευὴν προστάσσομεν ὑμῖν νηστεύειν, καὶ τὴν περισσείαν ὑμῶν τῆς νηστείας πένησιν ἐπιχορηγεῖν. Πᾶν μέντοι σάββατον ἄνευ τοῦ ἑνὸς καὶ πᾶσαν κυριακὴν ἐπιτελοῦντες συνόδους εὐφραίνεσθε· ἔνοχος γὰρ ἁμαρτίας ἔσται ὁ τὴν κυριακὴν νηστεύων, ἡμέραν ἀναστάσεως οὖσαν, ἢ τὴν πεντηκοστὴν ἢ ὅλως ἡμέραν ἑορτῆς Κυρίου κατηφῶν· εὐφρανθῆναι γὰρ δεῖ ἐν αὐταῖς, ἀλλ' οὐ πενθῆσαι.

ΒIΒΛIOΝ Ϛ Περὶ σχισμάτων β. Ὅτι οὔτε βασιλεῦσιν οὔτε ἱερεῦσι θεμιτὸν ἐπανίστασθαι. γ. Περὶ τῆς Μωϋσέως ἀρετῆς καὶ ἀπιστίας τοῦ Ἰουδαίων ἔθνους, καὶ ὧν ὁ Θεὸς ἐθαυματούργησε δι' αὐτοῦ. δ. Ὅτι ἀποσχίζει οὐχ ὁ τῶν ἀσεβῶν χωριζόμενος, ἀλλ' ὁ τῶν εὐσεβῶν ἀφιστάμενος. ε. Τίνος χάριν ἀπεβλήθη ὁ ψευδώνυμος Ἰσραήλ, ἀπόδειξις ἐκ προφη τικῶν προρρήσεων. ς. Περὶ αἱρέσεων ἰουδαϊκῶν. ζ. Ὁπόθεν ἀνεφύησαν αἱ παρὰ χριστιανοῖς αἱρέσεις, καὶ ὅστις αὐτῶν ἀρχηγὸς τῆς ἀσεβείας γεγένηται.