Treatise On the Precepts of the Church

- The Church enjoys the faculty of establishing precepts obliging the faithful under grave sin. For Christ conferred legislative power upon her, as was said in the Treatise on Laws, n. 83.

There exist many precepts of the Church, as is clear from Canon Law; but the principal ones, which regard all the faithful of whatever state or condition, are reduced to the following six, namely: 1. that the faithful observe the feasts instituted by the authority of the Church; - 2. that at least on Sundays and feasts they be present at the Holy Sacrifice; - 3. that at least once in each year they confess their sins; - 4. that at least in the time of Easter they approach the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist; - 5. that on certain days they abstain from flesh meat; - 6. that they keep the fasts at the stated times.

The Commandments of the Church

Within this treatise

On the First and Second Precepts of the Church, or On the Observance of Feastsnn. 474–476
On the Third Precept of the Church, or On Annual Confessionnn. 477–479
On the Fourth Precept of the Church, or On Easter Communionnn. 480–484
On the Fifth Precept of the Church, or On Abstinence from Flesh Meat Outside Fastingnn. 485–487
On the Sixth Precept of the Church, or On Ecclesiastical Fastingnn. 488–516
- Chapter I. On the Essence and Obligation of Fastingnn. 489–506
  - Article I. On the One Meal and the Little Refectionnn. 490–501
    § I. On the One Mealnn. 490–496
    § II. On the Evening Collationnn. 497–501
  - Article II. On Abstinence from Flesh Meat in Fastingnn. 502–504
  - Article III. On the Hour of the Mealnn. 505–506
- Chapter II. On the Causes Excusing from Fastingnn. 507–516