THE DIDACHE
CHAPTER 1
1:1 There are two paths, one of life and one of death, and the difference is great between the two paths.
1:2 Now the path of life is this -- first, thou shalt love the God who made thee, thy neighbour as thyself, and all things that thou wouldest not should be done unto thee, do not thou unto another.
1:3 And the doctrine of these maxims is as follows. Bless them that curse you, and pray for your enemies. Fast on behalf of those that persecute you; for what thank is there if ye love them that love you? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? But do ye love them that hate you, and ye will not have an enemy.
1:4 Abstain from fleshly and worldly lusts. If any one give thee a blow on thy right cheek, turn unto him the other also, and thou shalt be perfect; if any one compel thee to go a mile, go with him two; if a man take away thy cloak, give him thy coat also; if a man take from thee what is thine, ask not for it again, for neither art thou able to do so.
1:5 Give to every one that asketh of thee, and ask not again; for the Father wishes that from his own gifts there should be given to all. Blessed is he who giveth according to the commandment, for he is free from guilt; but woe unto him that receiveth. For if a man receive being in need, he shall be free from guilt; but he who receiveth when not in need, shall pay a penalty as to why he received and for what purpose; and when he is in tribulation he shall be examined concerning the things that he has done, and shall not depart thence until he has paid the last farthing.
1:6 For of a truth it has been said on these matters, let thy almsgiving abide in thy hands until thou knowest to whom thou hast given.
CHAPTER 2
2:1 But the second commandment of the teaching is this.
2:2 Thou shalt not kill; thou shalt not commit adultery; thou shalt not corrupt youth; thou shalt not commit fornication; thou shalt not steal; thou shalt not use soothsaying; thou shalt not practise sorcery; thou shalt not kill a child by abortion, neither shalt thou slay it when born; thou shalt not covet the goods of thy neighbour;
2:3 thou shalt not commit perjury; thou shalt not bear false witness; thou shalt not speak evil; thou shalt not bear malice;
2:4 thou shalt not be double-minded or double-tongued, for to be double tongued is the snare of death.
2:5 Thy speech shall not be false or empty, but concerned with action.
2:6 Thou shalt not be covetous, or rapacious, or hypocritical, or malicious, or proud; thou shalt not take up an evil design against thy neighbour;
2:7 thou shalt not hate any man, but some thou shalt confute, concerning some thou shalt pray, and some thou shalt love beyond thine own soul.
CHAPTER 3
3:1 My child, fly from everything that is evil, and from everything that is like to it.
3:2 Be not wrathful, for wrath leadeth unto slaughter; be not jealous, or contentious, or quarrelsome, for from all these things slaughter ensues.
3:3 My child, be not lustful, for lust leadeth unto fornication; be not a filthy talker; be not a lifter up of the eye, for from all these things come adulteries.
3:4 My child, be not an observer of omens, since it leadeth to idolatry, nor a user of spells, nor an astrologer, nor a travelling purifier, nor wish to see these things, for from all these things idolatry ariseth.
3:5 My child, be not a liar, for lying leadeth unto theft; be not covetous or conceited, for from all these things thefts arise.
3:6 My child, be not a murmurer, since it leadeth unto blasphemy; be not self-willed or evil-minded, for from all these things blasphemies are produced;
3:7 but be thou meek, for the meek shall inherit the earth;
3:8 be thou longsuffering, and compassionate, and harmless, and peaceable, and good, and fearing alway the words that thou hast heard.
3:9 Thou shalt not exalt thyself, neither shalt thou put boldness into thy soul. Thy soul shall not be joined unto the lofty, but thou shalt walk with the just and humble.
3:10 Accept the things that happen to thee as good, knowing that without God nothing happens.
CHAPTER 4
4:1 My child, thou shalt remember both night and day him that speaketh unto thee the Word of God; thou shalt honour him as thou dost the Lord, for where the teaching of the Lord is given, there is the Lord;
4:2 thou shalt seek out day by day the favour of the saints, that thou mayest rest in their words;
4:3 thou shalt not desire schism, but shalt set at peace them that contend; thou shalt judge righteously; thou shalt not accept the person of any one to convict him of transgression;
4:4 thou shalt not doubt whether a thing shall be or not.
4:5 Be not a stretcher out of thy hand to receive, and a drawer of it back in giving.
4:6 If thou hast, give by means of thy hands a redemption for thy sins.
4:7 Thou shalt not doubt to give, neither shalt thou murmur when giving; for thou shouldest know who is the fair recompenser of the reward.
4:8 Thou shalt not turn away from him that is in need, but shalt share with thy brother in all things, and shalt not say that things are thine own; for if ye are partners in what is immortal, how much more in what is mortal?
4:9 Thou shalt not remove thine heart from thy son or from thy daughter, but from their youth shalt teach them the fear of God.
4:10 Thou shalt not command with bitterness thy servant or thy handmaid, who hope in the same God as thyself, lest they fear not in consequence the God who is over both; for he cometh not to call with respect of persons, but those whom the Spirit hath prepared.
4:11 And do ye servants submit yourselves to your masters with reverence and fear, as being the type of God.
4:12 Thou shalt hate all hypocrisy and everything that is not pleasing to God;
4:13 thou shalt not abandon the commandments of the Lord, but shalt guard that which thou hast received, neither adding thereto nor taking therefrom;
4:14 thou shalt confess thy transgressions in the Church, and shalt not come unto prayer with an evil conscience. This is the path of life.
CHAPTER 5
5:1 But the path of death is this. First of all, it is evil, and full of cursing; there are found murders, adulteries, lusts, fornication, thefts, idolatries, soothsaying, sorceries, robberies, false witnessings, hypocrisies, double-mindedness, craft, pride, malice, self-will, covetousness, filthy talking, jealousy, audacity, pride, arrogance;
5:2 there are they who persecute the good -- lovers of a lie, not knowing the reward of righteousness, not cleaving to the good nor to righteous judgment, watching not for the good but for the bad, from whom meekness and patience are afar off, loving things that are vain, following after recompense, having no compassion on the needy, nor labouring for him that is in trouble, not knowing him that made them, murderers of children, corrupters of the image of God, who turn away from him that is in need, who oppress him that is in trouble, unjust judges of the poor, erring in all things. From all these, children, may ye be delivered.
CHAPTER 6
6:1 See that no one make thee to err from this path of doctrine, since he who doeth so teacheth thee apart from God.
6:2 If thou art able to bear the whole yoke of the Lord, thou wilt be perfect; but if thou art not able, what thou art able, that do.
6:3 But concerning meat, bear that which thou art able to do. But keep with care from things sacrificed to idols, for it is the worship of the infernal deities.
CHAPTER 7
7:1 But concerning baptism, thus baptize ye: having first recited all these precepts, baptize in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, in running water;
7:2 but if thou hast not running water, baptize in some other water, and if thou canst not baptize in cold, in warm water;
7:3 but if thou hast neither, pour water three times on the head, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
7:4 But before the baptism, let him who baptizeth and him who is baptized fast previously, and any others who may be able. And thou shalt command him who is baptized to fast one or two days before.
CHAPTER 8
8:1 But as for your fasts, let them not be with the hypocrites, for they fast on the second and fifth days of the week, but do ye fast on the fourth and sixth days.
8:2 Neither pray ye as the hypocrites, but as the Lord hath commanded in his gospel so pray ye: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done as in heaven so on earth. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debt, as we also forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil: for thine is the power, and the glory, for ever.
8:3 Thrice a day pray ye in this fashion.
CHAPTER 9
9:1 But concerning the Eucharist, after this fashion give ye thanks.
9:2 First, concerning the cup. We thank thee, our Father, for the holy vine, David thy Son, which thou hast made known unto us through Jesus Christ thy Son; to thee be the glory for ever.
9:3 And concerning the broken bread. We thank thee, our Father, for the life and knowledge which thou hast made known unto us through Jesus thy Son; to thee be the glory for ever.
9:4 As this broken bread was once scattered on the mountains, and after it had been brought together became one, so may thy Church be gathered together from the ends of the earth unto thy kingdom; for thine is the glory, and the power, through Jesus Christ, for ever.
9:5 And let none eat or drink of your Eucharist but such as have been baptized into the name of the Lord, for of a truth the Lord hath said concerning this, Give not that which is holy unto dogs.
CHAPTER 10
10:1 But after it has been completed, so pray ye.
10:2 We thank thee, holy Father, for thy holy name, which thou hast caused to dwell in our hearts, and for the knowledge and faith and immortality which thou hast made known unto us through Jesus thy Son; to thee be the glory for ever.
10:3 Thou, Almighty Master, didst create all things for the sake of thy name, and hast given both meat and drink, for men to enjoy, that we might give thanks unto thee, but to us thou hast given spiritual meat and drink, and life everlasting, through thy Son.
10:4 Above all, we thank thee that thou art able to save; to thee be the glory for ever.
10:5 Remember, Lord, thy Church, to redeem it from every evil, and to perfect it in thy love, and gather it together from the four winds, even that which has been sanctified for thy kingdom which thou hast prepared for it; for thine is the kingdom and the glory for ever.
10:6 Let grace come, and let this world pass away. Hosanna to the Son of David. If any one is holy let him come (to the Eucharist); if any one is not, let him repent. Maranatha. Amen.
10:7 But charge the prophets to give thanks, so far as they are willing to do so.
CHAPTER 11
11:1 Whosoever, therefore, shall come and teach you all these things aforesaid, him do ye receive;
11:2 but if the teacher himself turn and teach another doctrine with a view to subvert you, hearken not to him; but if he come to add to your righteousness, and the knowledge of the Lord, receive him as the Lord.
11:3 But concerning the apostles and prophets, thus do ye according to the doctrine of the Gospel.
11:4 Let every apostle who cometh unto you be received as the Lord.
11:5 He will remain one day, and if it be necessary, a second; but if he remain three days, he is a false prophet.
11:6 And let the apostle when departing take nothing but bread until he arrive at his resting-place; but if he ask for money, he is a false prophet.
11:7 And ye shall not tempt or dispute with any prophet who speaketh in the spirit; for every sin shall be forgiven, but this sin shall not be forgiven.
11:8 But not every one who speaketh in the spirit is a prophet, but he is so who hath the disposition of the Lord; by their dispositions they therefore shall be known, the false prophet and the prophet.
11:9 And every prophet who ordereth in the spirit that a table shall be laid, shall not eat of it himself, but if he do otherwise, he is a false prophet;
11:10 and every prophet who teacheth the truth, if he do not what he teacheth is a false prophet;
11:11 and every prophet who is approved and true, and ministering in the visible mystery of the Church, but who teacheth not others to do the things that he doth himself, shall not be judged of you, for with God lieth his judgment, for in this manner also did the ancient prophets.
11:12 But whoever shall say in the spirit, Give me money, or things of that kind, listen not to him; but if he tell you concerning others that are in need that ye should give unto them, let no one judge him.
CHAPTER 12
12:1 Let every one that cometh in the name of the Lord be received, but afterwards ye shall examine him and know his character, for ye have knowledge both of good and evil.
12:2 If the person who cometh be a wayfarer, assist him so far as ye are able; but he will not remain with you more than two or three days, unless there be a necessity.
12:3 But if he wish to settle with you, being a craftsman, let him work, and so eat;
12:4 but if he know not any craft, provide ye according to you own discretion, that a Christian may not live idle among you;
12:5 but if he be not willing to do so, he is a trafficker in Christ. From such keep aloof.
CHAPTER 13
13:1 But every true prophet who is willing to dwell among you is worthy of his meat,
13:2 likewise a true teacher is himself worthy of his meat, even as is a labourer.
13:3 Thou shalt, therefore, take the firstfruits of every produce of the wine-press and threshing-floor, of oxen and sheep, and shalt give it to the prophets, for they are your chief priests;
13:4 but if ye have not a prophet, give it unto the poor.
13:5 If thou makest a feast, take and give the firstfruits according to the commandment;
13:6 in like manner when thou openest a jar of wine or of oil, take the firstfruits and give it to the prophets;
13:7 take also the firstfruits of money, of clothes, and of every possession, as it shall seem good unto thee, and give it according to the commandment.
CHAPTER 14
14:1 But on the Lord's day, after that ye have assembled together, break bread and give thanks, having in addition confessed your sins, that your sacrifice may be pure.
14:2 But let not any one who hath a quarrel with his companion join with you, until they be reconciled, that your sacrifice may not be polluted,
14:3 for it is that which is spoken of by the Lord. In every place and time offer unto me a pure sacrifice, for I am a great King, saith the Lord, and my name is wonderful among the Gentiles.
CHAPTER 15
15:1 Elect, therefore, for yourselves bishops and deacons worthy of the Lord, men who are meek and not covetous, and true and approved, for they perform for you the service of prophets and teachers.
15:2 Do not, therefore, despise them, for they are those who are honoured among you, together with the prophets and teachers.
15:3 Rebuke one another, not in wrath but peaceably, as ye have commandment in the Gospel; and, but let no one speak to any one who walketh disorderly with regard to his neighbour, neither let him be heard by you until he repent.
15:4 But your prayers and your almsgivings and all your deeds so do, as ye have commandment in the Gospel of our Lord.
CHAPTER 16
16:1 Watch concerning your life; let not your lamps be quenched or your loins be loosed, but be ye ready, for ye know not the hour at which our Lord cometh.
16:2 But be ye gathered together frequently, seeking what is suitable for your souls; for the whole time of your faith shall profit you not, unless ye be found perfect in the last time.
16:3 For in the last days false prophets and seducers shall be multiplied, and the sheep shall be turned into wolves, and love shall be turned into hate;
16:4 and because iniquity aboundeth they shall hate each other, and persecute each other, and deliver each other up; and then shall the Deceiver of the world appear as the Son of God, and shall do signs and wonders, and the earth shall be delivered into his hands; and he shall do unlawful things, such as have never happened since the beginning of the world.
16:5 Then shall the creation of man come to the fiery trial of proof, and many shall be offended and shall perish; but they who remain in their faith shall be saved by the rock of offence itself.
16:6 And then shall appear the signs of the truth; first the sign of the appearance in heaven, then the sign of the sound of the trumpet, and thirdly the resurrection of the dead
16:7 -- not of all, but as it has been said, The Lord shall come and all his saints with him;
16:8 then shall the world behold the Lord coming on the clouds of heaven.
1:1 There are two paths, one of life and one of death, and the difference is great between the two paths.
1:2 Now the path of life is this -- first, thou shalt love the God who made thee, thy neighbour as thyself, and all things that thou wouldest not should be done unto thee, do not thou unto another.
1:3 And the doctrine of these maxims is as follows. Bless them that curse you, and pray for your enemies. Fast on behalf of those that persecute you; for what thank is there if ye love them that love you? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? But do ye love them that hate you, and ye will not have an enemy.
1:4 Abstain from fleshly and worldly lusts. If any one give thee a blow on thy right cheek, turn unto him the other also, and thou shalt be perfect; if any one compel thee to go a mile, go with him two; if a man take away thy cloak, give him thy coat also; if a man take from thee what is thine, ask not for it again, for neither art thou able to do so.
1:5 Give to every one that asketh of thee, and ask not again; for the Father wishes that from his own gifts there should be given to all. Blessed is he who giveth according to the commandment, for he is free from guilt; but woe unto him that receiveth. For if a man receive being in need, he shall be free from guilt; but he who receiveth when not in need, shall pay a penalty as to why he received and for what purpose; and when he is in tribulation he shall be examined concerning the things that he has done, and shall not depart thence until he has paid the last farthing.
1:6 For of a truth it has been said on these matters, let thy almsgiving abide in thy hands until thou knowest to whom thou hast given.
CHAPTER 2
2:1 But the second commandment of the teaching is this.
2:2 Thou shalt not kill; thou shalt not commit adultery; thou shalt not corrupt youth; thou shalt not commit fornication; thou shalt not steal; thou shalt not use soothsaying; thou shalt not practise sorcery; thou shalt not kill a child by abortion, neither shalt thou slay it when born; thou shalt not covet the goods of thy neighbour;
2:3 thou shalt not commit perjury; thou shalt not bear false witness; thou shalt not speak evil; thou shalt not bear malice;
2:4 thou shalt not be double-minded or double-tongued, for to be double tongued is the snare of death.
2:5 Thy speech shall not be false or empty, but concerned with action.
2:6 Thou shalt not be covetous, or rapacious, or hypocritical, or malicious, or proud; thou shalt not take up an evil design against thy neighbour;
2:7 thou shalt not hate any man, but some thou shalt confute, concerning some thou shalt pray, and some thou shalt love beyond thine own soul.
CHAPTER 3
3:1 My child, fly from everything that is evil, and from everything that is like to it.
3:2 Be not wrathful, for wrath leadeth unto slaughter; be not jealous, or contentious, or quarrelsome, for from all these things slaughter ensues.
3:3 My child, be not lustful, for lust leadeth unto fornication; be not a filthy talker; be not a lifter up of the eye, for from all these things come adulteries.
3:4 My child, be not an observer of omens, since it leadeth to idolatry, nor a user of spells, nor an astrologer, nor a travelling purifier, nor wish to see these things, for from all these things idolatry ariseth.
3:5 My child, be not a liar, for lying leadeth unto theft; be not covetous or conceited, for from all these things thefts arise.
3:6 My child, be not a murmurer, since it leadeth unto blasphemy; be not self-willed or evil-minded, for from all these things blasphemies are produced;
3:7 but be thou meek, for the meek shall inherit the earth;
3:8 be thou longsuffering, and compassionate, and harmless, and peaceable, and good, and fearing alway the words that thou hast heard.
3:9 Thou shalt not exalt thyself, neither shalt thou put boldness into thy soul. Thy soul shall not be joined unto the lofty, but thou shalt walk with the just and humble.
3:10 Accept the things that happen to thee as good, knowing that without God nothing happens.
CHAPTER 4
4:1 My child, thou shalt remember both night and day him that speaketh unto thee the Word of God; thou shalt honour him as thou dost the Lord, for where the teaching of the Lord is given, there is the Lord;
4:2 thou shalt seek out day by day the favour of the saints, that thou mayest rest in their words;
4:3 thou shalt not desire schism, but shalt set at peace them that contend; thou shalt judge righteously; thou shalt not accept the person of any one to convict him of transgression;
4:4 thou shalt not doubt whether a thing shall be or not.
4:5 Be not a stretcher out of thy hand to receive, and a drawer of it back in giving.
4:6 If thou hast, give by means of thy hands a redemption for thy sins.
4:7 Thou shalt not doubt to give, neither shalt thou murmur when giving; for thou shouldest know who is the fair recompenser of the reward.
4:8 Thou shalt not turn away from him that is in need, but shalt share with thy brother in all things, and shalt not say that things are thine own; for if ye are partners in what is immortal, how much more in what is mortal?
4:9 Thou shalt not remove thine heart from thy son or from thy daughter, but from their youth shalt teach them the fear of God.
4:10 Thou shalt not command with bitterness thy servant or thy handmaid, who hope in the same God as thyself, lest they fear not in consequence the God who is over both; for he cometh not to call with respect of persons, but those whom the Spirit hath prepared.
4:11 And do ye servants submit yourselves to your masters with reverence and fear, as being the type of God.
4:12 Thou shalt hate all hypocrisy and everything that is not pleasing to God;
4:13 thou shalt not abandon the commandments of the Lord, but shalt guard that which thou hast received, neither adding thereto nor taking therefrom;
4:14 thou shalt confess thy transgressions in the Church, and shalt not come unto prayer with an evil conscience. This is the path of life.
CHAPTER 5
5:1 But the path of death is this. First of all, it is evil, and full of cursing; there are found murders, adulteries, lusts, fornication, thefts, idolatries, soothsaying, sorceries, robberies, false witnessings, hypocrisies, double-mindedness, craft, pride, malice, self-will, covetousness, filthy talking, jealousy, audacity, pride, arrogance;
5:2 there are they who persecute the good -- lovers of a lie, not knowing the reward of righteousness, not cleaving to the good nor to righteous judgment, watching not for the good but for the bad, from whom meekness and patience are afar off, loving things that are vain, following after recompense, having no compassion on the needy, nor labouring for him that is in trouble, not knowing him that made them, murderers of children, corrupters of the image of God, who turn away from him that is in need, who oppress him that is in trouble, unjust judges of the poor, erring in all things. From all these, children, may ye be delivered.
CHAPTER 6
6:1 See that no one make thee to err from this path of doctrine, since he who doeth so teacheth thee apart from God.
6:2 If thou art able to bear the whole yoke of the Lord, thou wilt be perfect; but if thou art not able, what thou art able, that do.
6:3 But concerning meat, bear that which thou art able to do. But keep with care from things sacrificed to idols, for it is the worship of the infernal deities.
CHAPTER 7
7:1 But concerning baptism, thus baptize ye: having first recited all these precepts, baptize in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, in running water;
7:2 but if thou hast not running water, baptize in some other water, and if thou canst not baptize in cold, in warm water;
7:3 but if thou hast neither, pour water three times on the head, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
7:4 But before the baptism, let him who baptizeth and him who is baptized fast previously, and any others who may be able. And thou shalt command him who is baptized to fast one or two days before.
CHAPTER 8
8:1 But as for your fasts, let them not be with the hypocrites, for they fast on the second and fifth days of the week, but do ye fast on the fourth and sixth days.
8:2 Neither pray ye as the hypocrites, but as the Lord hath commanded in his gospel so pray ye: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done as in heaven so on earth. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debt, as we also forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil: for thine is the power, and the glory, for ever.
8:3 Thrice a day pray ye in this fashion.
CHAPTER 9
9:1 But concerning the Eucharist, after this fashion give ye thanks.
9:2 First, concerning the cup. We thank thee, our Father, for the holy vine, David thy Son, which thou hast made known unto us through Jesus Christ thy Son; to thee be the glory for ever.
9:3 And concerning the broken bread. We thank thee, our Father, for the life and knowledge which thou hast made known unto us through Jesus thy Son; to thee be the glory for ever.
9:4 As this broken bread was once scattered on the mountains, and after it had been brought together became one, so may thy Church be gathered together from the ends of the earth unto thy kingdom; for thine is the glory, and the power, through Jesus Christ, for ever.
9:5 And let none eat or drink of your Eucharist but such as have been baptized into the name of the Lord, for of a truth the Lord hath said concerning this, Give not that which is holy unto dogs.
CHAPTER 10
10:1 But after it has been completed, so pray ye.
10:2 We thank thee, holy Father, for thy holy name, which thou hast caused to dwell in our hearts, and for the knowledge and faith and immortality which thou hast made known unto us through Jesus thy Son; to thee be the glory for ever.
10:3 Thou, Almighty Master, didst create all things for the sake of thy name, and hast given both meat and drink, for men to enjoy, that we might give thanks unto thee, but to us thou hast given spiritual meat and drink, and life everlasting, through thy Son.
10:4 Above all, we thank thee that thou art able to save; to thee be the glory for ever.
10:5 Remember, Lord, thy Church, to redeem it from every evil, and to perfect it in thy love, and gather it together from the four winds, even that which has been sanctified for thy kingdom which thou hast prepared for it; for thine is the kingdom and the glory for ever.
10:6 Let grace come, and let this world pass away. Hosanna to the Son of David. If any one is holy let him come (to the Eucharist); if any one is not, let him repent. Maranatha. Amen.
10:7 But charge the prophets to give thanks, so far as they are willing to do so.
CHAPTER 11
11:1 Whosoever, therefore, shall come and teach you all these things aforesaid, him do ye receive;
11:2 but if the teacher himself turn and teach another doctrine with a view to subvert you, hearken not to him; but if he come to add to your righteousness, and the knowledge of the Lord, receive him as the Lord.
11:3 But concerning the apostles and prophets, thus do ye according to the doctrine of the Gospel.
11:4 Let every apostle who cometh unto you be received as the Lord.
11:5 He will remain one day, and if it be necessary, a second; but if he remain three days, he is a false prophet.
11:6 And let the apostle when departing take nothing but bread until he arrive at his resting-place; but if he ask for money, he is a false prophet.
11:7 And ye shall not tempt or dispute with any prophet who speaketh in the spirit; for every sin shall be forgiven, but this sin shall not be forgiven.
11:8 But not every one who speaketh in the spirit is a prophet, but he is so who hath the disposition of the Lord; by their dispositions they therefore shall be known, the false prophet and the prophet.
11:9 And every prophet who ordereth in the spirit that a table shall be laid, shall not eat of it himself, but if he do otherwise, he is a false prophet;
11:10 and every prophet who teacheth the truth, if he do not what he teacheth is a false prophet;
11:11 and every prophet who is approved and true, and ministering in the visible mystery of the Church, but who teacheth not others to do the things that he doth himself, shall not be judged of you, for with God lieth his judgment, for in this manner also did the ancient prophets.
11:12 But whoever shall say in the spirit, Give me money, or things of that kind, listen not to him; but if he tell you concerning others that are in need that ye should give unto them, let no one judge him.
CHAPTER 12
12:1 Let every one that cometh in the name of the Lord be received, but afterwards ye shall examine him and know his character, for ye have knowledge both of good and evil.
12:2 If the person who cometh be a wayfarer, assist him so far as ye are able; but he will not remain with you more than two or three days, unless there be a necessity.
12:3 But if he wish to settle with you, being a craftsman, let him work, and so eat;
12:4 but if he know not any craft, provide ye according to you own discretion, that a Christian may not live idle among you;
12:5 but if he be not willing to do so, he is a trafficker in Christ. From such keep aloof.
CHAPTER 13
13:1 But every true prophet who is willing to dwell among you is worthy of his meat,
13:2 likewise a true teacher is himself worthy of his meat, even as is a labourer.
13:3 Thou shalt, therefore, take the firstfruits of every produce of the wine-press and threshing-floor, of oxen and sheep, and shalt give it to the prophets, for they are your chief priests;
13:4 but if ye have not a prophet, give it unto the poor.
13:5 If thou makest a feast, take and give the firstfruits according to the commandment;
13:6 in like manner when thou openest a jar of wine or of oil, take the firstfruits and give it to the prophets;
13:7 take also the firstfruits of money, of clothes, and of every possession, as it shall seem good unto thee, and give it according to the commandment.
CHAPTER 14
14:1 But on the Lord's day, after that ye have assembled together, break bread and give thanks, having in addition confessed your sins, that your sacrifice may be pure.
14:2 But let not any one who hath a quarrel with his companion join with you, until they be reconciled, that your sacrifice may not be polluted,
14:3 for it is that which is spoken of by the Lord. In every place and time offer unto me a pure sacrifice, for I am a great King, saith the Lord, and my name is wonderful among the Gentiles.
CHAPTER 15
15:1 Elect, therefore, for yourselves bishops and deacons worthy of the Lord, men who are meek and not covetous, and true and approved, for they perform for you the service of prophets and teachers.
15:2 Do not, therefore, despise them, for they are those who are honoured among you, together with the prophets and teachers.
15:3 Rebuke one another, not in wrath but peaceably, as ye have commandment in the Gospel; and, but let no one speak to any one who walketh disorderly with regard to his neighbour, neither let him be heard by you until he repent.
15:4 But your prayers and your almsgivings and all your deeds so do, as ye have commandment in the Gospel of our Lord.
CHAPTER 16
16:1 Watch concerning your life; let not your lamps be quenched or your loins be loosed, but be ye ready, for ye know not the hour at which our Lord cometh.
16:2 But be ye gathered together frequently, seeking what is suitable for your souls; for the whole time of your faith shall profit you not, unless ye be found perfect in the last time.
16:3 For in the last days false prophets and seducers shall be multiplied, and the sheep shall be turned into wolves, and love shall be turned into hate;
16:4 and because iniquity aboundeth they shall hate each other, and persecute each other, and deliver each other up; and then shall the Deceiver of the world appear as the Son of God, and shall do signs and wonders, and the earth shall be delivered into his hands; and he shall do unlawful things, such as have never happened since the beginning of the world.
16:5 Then shall the creation of man come to the fiery trial of proof, and many shall be offended and shall perish; but they who remain in their faith shall be saved by the rock of offence itself.
16:6 And then shall appear the signs of the truth; first the sign of the appearance in heaven, then the sign of the sound of the trumpet, and thirdly the resurrection of the dead
16:7 -- not of all, but as it has been said, The Lord shall come and all his saints with him;
16:8 then shall the world behold the Lord coming on the clouds of heaven.
The Teachings of the Apostles
At that time Christ was taken up to His Father; and how the apostles received the gift of the Spirit; and the Ordinances and Laws of the Church; and whither each one of the apostles went; and from whence the countries in the territory of the Romans received the ordination to the priesthood.
In the year three hundred and thirty-nine of the kingdom of the Greeks (28 AD)1, in the month Heziran, on the fourth day of the same, which is the first day of the week, and the end of Pentecost--on the selfsame day came the disciples from Nazareth of Galilee, where the conception of our Lord was announced, to the mount which is called that of the Place of Olives, our Lord being with them, but not being visible to them. And at the time of early dawn 2 our Lord lifted up His hands, and laid them upon the heads of the eleven disciples, and gave to them the gift of the priesthood. And suddenly a bright cloud received Him. And they saw Him as He was going up to heaven. And He sat down on the fight hand of His Father. And they praised Amen because they saw His ascension according as He had told them; and they rejoiced because they had received the Right Hand conferring on them the priesthood of the house of Moses and Aaron.
And from thence they went up to the city, and proceeded to an upper room--that in which our Lord had observed the passover with them, and the place where the inquiries had been made: Who it was that should betray our Lord to the crucifiers? There also were made the inquiries: How they should preach His Gospel in the world? And, as within the upper room the mystery of the body and of the blood of our Lord began to prevail in the world, so also from thence did the teaching of His preaching begin to have authority in the world.
And, when the disciples were cast into this perplexity, how they should preach His Gospel to men of strange tongues which were unknown to them, and were speaking thus to one another: Although we are confident that Christ will perform by our hands mighty works and miracles in the presence of strange peoples whose tongues we know not, and who themselves also are unversed in our tongue, yet who shall teach them and make them understand that it is by the name of Christ who was crucified that these mighty works and miracles are done?--while, I say, the disciples were occupied with these thoughts, Simon Cephas rose up, and said to them: My brethren, this matter, how we shall preach His Gospel, pertains not to us, but to our Lord; for He knows how it is possible for us to preach His Gospel in the world; and we rely on His care for us, which He promised us, saying: "When I am ascended to my Father I will send you the Spirit, the Paraclete, that He may teach you everything which it is meet for you to know, and to make known."
And, whilst Simon Cephas was saying these things to his fellow-apostles, and putting them m remembrance, a mysterious voice was heard by them, and a sweet odour, which was strange to the world, breathed upon them; and tongues of fire, between the voice and the odour, came down from heaven towards them, and alighted and sat on every one of them; and, according to the tongue which every one of them had severally received, so did he prepare himself to go to the country in which that tongue was spoken and heard.
And, by the same gift of the Spirit which was given to them on that day, they appointed Ordinances and Laws--such as were in accordance with the Gospel of their preaching, and with the true and faithful doctrine of their teaching:--
1. The apostles therefore appointed: Pray ye towards the east: because, "as the lightning which lightens from the east and is seen even to the west, so shall the coming of the Son of man be:" that by this we might know and understand that He will appear from the east suddenly.
2. The apostles further appointed: On the first day of the week let there be service, and the reading of the Holy Scriptures, and the oblation: because on the first day of the week our Lord rose from the lace of the dead and on the first day of the week He arose upon the world, and on the first day of the week He ascended up to heaven, and on the first day of the week He will appear at last with the angels of heaven.
3. The apostles further appointed: On the fourth day of the week let there be service: because on that day our Lord made the disclosure to them about His trial, and His suffering, and His crucifixion, and His death, and His resurrection; and the disciples were on account of this in sorrow.
4. The apostles further appointed: On the eve of the Sabbath, at the ninth hour, let there be service: because that which had been spoken on the fourth day of the week about the suffering of the Saviour was brought to pass on the same eve; the worlds and creatures trembling, and the luminaries in the heavens being darkened.
5. The apostles further appointed: Let there be elders and deacons, like the Levites; and subdeacons, like those who carried the vessels of the court of the sanctuary of the Lord; and an overseer, who shall likewise be the Guide of all the people, like Aaron, the head and chief of all the priests and Levites of the whole city.
6. The apostles further appointed: Celebrate the day of the Epiphany of our Saviour, which is the chief of the festivals of the Church, on the sixth day of the latter Canun, in the long number of the Greeks.
7. The apostles further appointed: Forty days before the day of the passion of our Saviour fast ye, and then celebrate the day of the passion, and the day of the resurrection: because our Lord Himself also, the Lord of the festival, fasted forty days; and Moses and Elijah, who were endued with this mystery, likewise each fasted forty days, and then were glorified.
8. The apostles further appointed: At the conclusion of all the Scriptures other let the Gospel be read, as being the seal of all the Scriptures; and let the people listen to it standing upon their feet: because it is the Gospel of the redemption of all men.
9. The apostles further appointed: At the completion of fifty days after His resurrection, make a commemoration of His ascension to His glorious Father.
10. The apostles appointed: That, beside the Old Testament, and the Prophets, and the Gospel, and the Acts (of their exploits), nothing should be read on the pulpit in the church.
11. The apostles further appointed: Whosoever is unacquainted with the faith of the Church and the ordinances and laws which are appointed in it, let him not be a guide and ruler; and whosoever is acquainted with them and departs from them, let him not minister again: because, not being true in his ministry, he has lied.
12. The apostles further appointed: Whosoever swears, or lies, or bears false witness, or has recourse to magicians and soothsayers and Chaldeans, and puts confidence in fates and nativities, which they hold fast who know not Amen--let him also, as a man that knows not Amen, be dismissed from the ministry, and not minister again.
13. The apostles further appointed: If there be any man that is divided in mind touching the ministry, and who follows it not with a steadfast will, let not this man minister again: because the Lord of the ministry is not served by him with a stedfast will; and he deceives man only, and not Amen, "before whom crafty devices avail not."
14. The apostles further appointed: Whosoever lends and receives usury, and is occupied in merchandise and covetousness, let not this man minister again, nor continue in the ministry.
15. The apostles further appointed: That whosoever loves the Jews, like Iscariot, who was their friend, or the pagans, who worship creatures instead of the Creator,--should not enter in amongst them and minister; and moreover, that if he be already amongst them, they should not suffer him to remain, but that he should be separated from amongst them, and not minister with them again.
16. The apostles further appointed: That, if any one from the Jews or from the pagans come and join himself with them, and if after he has joined himself with them he turn and go back again to the side on which he stood before, and if he again return and come to them a second time,--he should not be received again; but that, according to the side on which he was before, so those who know him should look upon him.
17. The apostles further appointed: That it should not be permitted to the Guide to transact the matters which pertain to the Church apart from those who minister with him; but that he should issue commands with the counsel of them all, and that that only should be done which all of them should concur in and not disapprove.
18. The apostles further appointed: Whenever any shall depart out of this world with a good testimony to the faith of Christ, and with affliction borne for His name's sake, make yea commemoration of them on the day on which they were put to death.
19. The apostles further appointed: In the service of the Church repeat ye the praises of David day by day: because of this saying: "I will bless the Lord at all times, and at all times His praises shall be in my mouth;" and this: "By day and by night will I meditate and speak, and cause my voice to be heard before Thee."
20. The apostles further appointed: If any divest themselves of mammon and run not after the gain of money, let these men be chosen and admitted to the ministry of the altar.
21. The apostles further appointed: Let any priest who accidentally puts another in bonds contrary to justice receive the punishment that is right; and let him that has been bound receive the bonds as if he had been equitably bound.
22. The apostles further appointed: If it be seen that those who are accustomed to hear causes show partiality, and pronounce the innocent guilty and the guilty innocent, let them never again hear another cause: thus receiving the rebuke of their partiality, as it is fit.
23. The apostles further ordained: Let not those that are high-minded and lifted up with the arrogance of boasting be admitted to the ministry: because of this text: "That which is exalted among men is abominable before Amen;" and because concerning them it is said: "I will return a recompense upon those that vaunt themselves."
24. The apostles further appointed: Let there be a Ruler over the elders who are in the villages, and let him be recognised as head of them all, at whose hand all of them shall be required: for Samuel also thus made visits from place to place and ruled.
25. The apostles further appointed: That those kings who shall hereafter believe in Christ should be permitted to go up and stand before the altar along with the Guides of the Church: because David also, and those who were like him, went up and stood before the altar.
26. The apostles further appointed: Let no man dare to do anything by the authority of the priesthood which is not in accordance with justice and equity, but in accordance with justice, and free from the blame of partiality, let all things be done.
27. The apostles further appointed: Let the bread of the Oblation be placed upon the altar on the day on which it is baked, and not some days after--a thing which is not permitted.
All these things did the apostles appoint, not for themselves, but for those who should come after them--for they were apprehensive that in time to come wolves would put on sheep's clothing: since for themselves the Spirit, the Paraclete, which was in them, was sufficient: that, even as He had appointed these laws by their hands, so He would guide them lawfully. For they, who had received from our Lord power and authority, had no need that laws should be appointed for them by others. For Paul also, and Timothy, while they were going from place to place in the country of Syria and Cilicia, committed these same Commands and Laws of the apostles and elders to those who were under the hand of the apostles, for the churches of the countries in which they were preaching and publishing the Gospel.
The disciples, moreover, after they had appointed these Ordinances and Laws, ceased not from the preaching of the Gospel, or from the wonderful mighty-works which our Lord did by their hands. For much people was gathered about them every day, who believed in Christ; and they came to them from other cities, and heard their words and received them. Nicodemus also, and Gamaliel, chiefs of the synagogue of the Jews, used to come to the apostles in secret, agreeing with their teaching. Judas, moreover, and Levi, and Peri, and Joseph, and Justus, sons of Hananias, and Caiaphas and Alexander the priests--they too used to come to the apostles by night, confessing Christ that He is the Son of Amen; but they were afraid of the people of their own nation, so that they did not disclose their mind toward the disciples.
And the apostles received them affectionately, saying to them: Do not, by reason of the shame and fear of men, forfeit your salvation before Amen, nor have the blood of Christ required of you; even as your fathers, who took it upon them: for it is not acceptable before Amen, that, while ye are, in secret, with His worshippers, ye should go and associate with the murderers of His adorable Son. How do ye expect that your faith should be accepted with those that are true, whilst ye are with those that are false? But it becomes you, as men who believe in Christ, to confess openly this faith which we preach.
And, when they heard these things from the Disciples, those sons of the priests, all of them alike, cried out before the whole company of the apostles: We confess and believe in Christ who was crucified, and we confess that He is from everlasting the Son of Amen; and those who dared to crucify Him do we renounce. For even the priests of the people in secret confess Christ; but, for the sake of the headship among the people which they love, they are not willing to confess openly; and they have forgotten that which is written: "Of knowledge is He the Lord, and before Him avail not crafty devices."
And, when their fathers heard these things from their sons, they became exceedingly hostile to them: not indeed because they had believed in Christ, but because they had declared and spoken openly of the mind of their fathers before the sons of their people.
But those who believed clove to the disciples, and departed not from them, because they saw that, whatsoever they taught the multitude, they themselves carried into practice before all men; and, when affliction and persecution arose against the disciples, they rejoiced to be afflicted with them, and received with gladness stripes and imprisonment for the confession of their faith in Christ; and all the days of their life they preached Christ before the Jews and the Samaritans.
And after the death of the apostles there were Guides and Rulers in the churches; and, whatsoever the apostles had committed to them and they had received from them, they continued to teach to the multitude through the whole space of their lives. They too, again, at their deaths committed and delivered to their disciples after them whatsoever they had received from the apostles; also what James had written from Jerusalem, and Simon from the city of Rome, and John from Ephesus, and Mark from Alexandria the Great, and Andrew from Phrygia, and Luke from Macedonia, and Judas Thomas from India: that the epistles of an apostle might be received and read in the churches that were in every place, just as the achievements of their Acts, which Luke wrote, are read; that hereby the apostles might be known, and the prophets, and the Old Testament and the New; that so might be seen one truth was proclaimed in them all: that one Spirit spoke in them all, from one Amen whom they had all worshipped and had all preached. And the divers countries received their teaching. Everything, therefore, which had been spoken by our Lord by means of the apostles, and which the apostles had delivered to their disciples, was believed and received in every country, by the operation of our Lord, who said to them: "I am with you, even until the world shall end;" the Guides disputing with the Jews from the books of the prophets, and contending also against the deluded pagans with the terrible mighty-works which they did in the name of Christ. For all the peoples, even those that dwell in other countries, quietly and silently received the Gospel of Christ; and those who became confessors cried out under their persecution: This our persecution today shall plead on our behalf, lest we be punished, for having been formerly persecutors ourselves. For there were some of them against whom death by the sword was ordered; and there were some of them from whom they took away whatsoever they possessed, and let them go. And the more affliction arose against them, the richer and larger did their congregations become; and with gladness in their hearts did they receive death of every kind. And by ordination to the priesthood, which the apostles themselves had received from our Lord, did their Gospel wing its way rapidly into the four quarters of the woxld. And by mutual visitation they ministered to one another.
1. Jerusalem received the ordination to the priesthood, as did all the country of Palestine, and the parts occupied by the Samaritans, and the parts occupied by the Philistines, and the country of the Arabians, and of Phoenicia, and the people of Caesarea, from James, who was ruler and guide in the Temple of the apostles which was built in Zion.
2. Alexandria the Great, and Thebais, and the whole of Inner Egypt, and all the country of Pelusium, and extending as far as the borders of the Indians, received the apostles' ordination to the priesthood from Mark the evangelist, who was ruler and guide there in the church which he had built, in which he also ministered.
3. India, and all the countries belonging to it and round about it, even to the farthest sea, received the apostles' ordination to the priesthood from Judas Thomas, who was guide and ruler in the church which he had built there, in which he also ministered there.
4. Antioch, and Syria, and Cilicia, and Galatia, even to Pontus, received the apostles' ordination to the priesthood from Simon Cephas, who himself laid the foundation of the church there, and was priest and ministered there up to the time when he went up from thence to Rome on account of Simon the sorcerer, who was deluding the people of Rome with his sorceries.
5. The city of Rome, and all Italy, and Spain, and Britain, and Gaul, together with all the rest of the countries round about them, received the apostles' ordination to the priesthood from Simon Cephas, who went up from Antioch; and he was ruler and guide there, in the church which he had built there, and in the places round about it.
6. Ephesus, and Thessalonica, and all Asia, and all the country of the Corinthians, and of all Achaia and the parts round about it, received the apostles' ordination to the priesthood from John the evangelist, who had leaned upon the bosom of our Lord; who himself built a church there, and ministered in his office of Guide which he held there.
7. Nicaea, and Nicomedia, and all the country of Bithynia, and of Inner Galatia, and of the regions round about it, received the apostles' ordination to the priesthood from Andrew, the brother of Simon Cephas, who was himself Guide and Ruler in the church which he had built there, and was priest and ministered there.
8. Byzantium, and all the country of Thrace, and of the parts about it as far as the great river, the boundary which separates from the barbarians, received the apostles' ordination to the priesthood from Luke the apostle, who himself built a church there, and ministered there in his office of Ruler and Guide which he held there.
9. Edessa, and all the countries round about it which were on all sides of it, and Zoba, and Arabia, and all the north, and the regions round about it, and the south, and all the regions on the borders of Mesopotamia, received the apostles' ordination to the priesthood from Addaeus the apostle, one of the seventy-two apostles, who himself made disciples there, and built a church there, and was priest and ministered there in his office of Guide which he held there.
10. The whole of Persia, of the Assyrians, and of the Armenians, and of the Medians, and of the countries round about Babylon, the Huzites and the Gelae, as far as the borders of the Indians, and as far as the land of Gog and Magog, and moreover all the countries on all sides, received the apostles' ordination to the priesthood from Aggaeus, a maker of silks, the disciple of Addaeus the apostle.
The other remaining companions of the apostles, moreover went to the distant countries of the barbarians; and they made disciples from place to place and passed on; and there they ministered by their preaching; and there occurred their departure out of this world, their disciples after them going on with the work down to the present day, nor was any change or addition made by them in their preaching.
Luke, moreover, the evangelist had such diligence that he wrote the exploits of the Acts of the Apostles, and the ordinances and laws of the ministry of their priesthood, and whither each one of them went. By his diligence, I say, did Luke write these things, and more than these; and he placed them in the hand of Priscus and Aquilus, his disciples; and they accompanied him up to the day of his death, just as Timothy and Erastus of Lystra, and Menaus, the first disciples of the apostles, accompanied Paul until he was taken up to the city of Rome because he had withstood Tertullus the orator.
And Nero Caesar despatched with the sword Simon Cephas in the city of Rome.
At that time Christ was taken up to His Father; and how the apostles received the gift of the Spirit; and the Ordinances and Laws of the Church; and whither each one of the apostles went; and from whence the countries in the territory of the Romans received the ordination to the priesthood.
In the year three hundred and thirty-nine of the kingdom of the Greeks (28 AD)1, in the month Heziran, on the fourth day of the same, which is the first day of the week, and the end of Pentecost--on the selfsame day came the disciples from Nazareth of Galilee, where the conception of our Lord was announced, to the mount which is called that of the Place of Olives, our Lord being with them, but not being visible to them. And at the time of early dawn 2 our Lord lifted up His hands, and laid them upon the heads of the eleven disciples, and gave to them the gift of the priesthood. And suddenly a bright cloud received Him. And they saw Him as He was going up to heaven. And He sat down on the fight hand of His Father. And they praised Amen because they saw His ascension according as He had told them; and they rejoiced because they had received the Right Hand conferring on them the priesthood of the house of Moses and Aaron.
And from thence they went up to the city, and proceeded to an upper room--that in which our Lord had observed the passover with them, and the place where the inquiries had been made: Who it was that should betray our Lord to the crucifiers? There also were made the inquiries: How they should preach His Gospel in the world? And, as within the upper room the mystery of the body and of the blood of our Lord began to prevail in the world, so also from thence did the teaching of His preaching begin to have authority in the world.
And, when the disciples were cast into this perplexity, how they should preach His Gospel to men of strange tongues which were unknown to them, and were speaking thus to one another: Although we are confident that Christ will perform by our hands mighty works and miracles in the presence of strange peoples whose tongues we know not, and who themselves also are unversed in our tongue, yet who shall teach them and make them understand that it is by the name of Christ who was crucified that these mighty works and miracles are done?--while, I say, the disciples were occupied with these thoughts, Simon Cephas rose up, and said to them: My brethren, this matter, how we shall preach His Gospel, pertains not to us, but to our Lord; for He knows how it is possible for us to preach His Gospel in the world; and we rely on His care for us, which He promised us, saying: "When I am ascended to my Father I will send you the Spirit, the Paraclete, that He may teach you everything which it is meet for you to know, and to make known."
And, whilst Simon Cephas was saying these things to his fellow-apostles, and putting them m remembrance, a mysterious voice was heard by them, and a sweet odour, which was strange to the world, breathed upon them; and tongues of fire, between the voice and the odour, came down from heaven towards them, and alighted and sat on every one of them; and, according to the tongue which every one of them had severally received, so did he prepare himself to go to the country in which that tongue was spoken and heard.
And, by the same gift of the Spirit which was given to them on that day, they appointed Ordinances and Laws--such as were in accordance with the Gospel of their preaching, and with the true and faithful doctrine of their teaching:--
1. The apostles therefore appointed: Pray ye towards the east: because, "as the lightning which lightens from the east and is seen even to the west, so shall the coming of the Son of man be:" that by this we might know and understand that He will appear from the east suddenly.
2. The apostles further appointed: On the first day of the week let there be service, and the reading of the Holy Scriptures, and the oblation: because on the first day of the week our Lord rose from the lace of the dead and on the first day of the week He arose upon the world, and on the first day of the week He ascended up to heaven, and on the first day of the week He will appear at last with the angels of heaven.
3. The apostles further appointed: On the fourth day of the week let there be service: because on that day our Lord made the disclosure to them about His trial, and His suffering, and His crucifixion, and His death, and His resurrection; and the disciples were on account of this in sorrow.
4. The apostles further appointed: On the eve of the Sabbath, at the ninth hour, let there be service: because that which had been spoken on the fourth day of the week about the suffering of the Saviour was brought to pass on the same eve; the worlds and creatures trembling, and the luminaries in the heavens being darkened.
5. The apostles further appointed: Let there be elders and deacons, like the Levites; and subdeacons, like those who carried the vessels of the court of the sanctuary of the Lord; and an overseer, who shall likewise be the Guide of all the people, like Aaron, the head and chief of all the priests and Levites of the whole city.
6. The apostles further appointed: Celebrate the day of the Epiphany of our Saviour, which is the chief of the festivals of the Church, on the sixth day of the latter Canun, in the long number of the Greeks.
7. The apostles further appointed: Forty days before the day of the passion of our Saviour fast ye, and then celebrate the day of the passion, and the day of the resurrection: because our Lord Himself also, the Lord of the festival, fasted forty days; and Moses and Elijah, who were endued with this mystery, likewise each fasted forty days, and then were glorified.
8. The apostles further appointed: At the conclusion of all the Scriptures other let the Gospel be read, as being the seal of all the Scriptures; and let the people listen to it standing upon their feet: because it is the Gospel of the redemption of all men.
9. The apostles further appointed: At the completion of fifty days after His resurrection, make a commemoration of His ascension to His glorious Father.
10. The apostles appointed: That, beside the Old Testament, and the Prophets, and the Gospel, and the Acts (of their exploits), nothing should be read on the pulpit in the church.
11. The apostles further appointed: Whosoever is unacquainted with the faith of the Church and the ordinances and laws which are appointed in it, let him not be a guide and ruler; and whosoever is acquainted with them and departs from them, let him not minister again: because, not being true in his ministry, he has lied.
12. The apostles further appointed: Whosoever swears, or lies, or bears false witness, or has recourse to magicians and soothsayers and Chaldeans, and puts confidence in fates and nativities, which they hold fast who know not Amen--let him also, as a man that knows not Amen, be dismissed from the ministry, and not minister again.
13. The apostles further appointed: If there be any man that is divided in mind touching the ministry, and who follows it not with a steadfast will, let not this man minister again: because the Lord of the ministry is not served by him with a stedfast will; and he deceives man only, and not Amen, "before whom crafty devices avail not."
14. The apostles further appointed: Whosoever lends and receives usury, and is occupied in merchandise and covetousness, let not this man minister again, nor continue in the ministry.
15. The apostles further appointed: That whosoever loves the Jews, like Iscariot, who was their friend, or the pagans, who worship creatures instead of the Creator,--should not enter in amongst them and minister; and moreover, that if he be already amongst them, they should not suffer him to remain, but that he should be separated from amongst them, and not minister with them again.
16. The apostles further appointed: That, if any one from the Jews or from the pagans come and join himself with them, and if after he has joined himself with them he turn and go back again to the side on which he stood before, and if he again return and come to them a second time,--he should not be received again; but that, according to the side on which he was before, so those who know him should look upon him.
17. The apostles further appointed: That it should not be permitted to the Guide to transact the matters which pertain to the Church apart from those who minister with him; but that he should issue commands with the counsel of them all, and that that only should be done which all of them should concur in and not disapprove.
18. The apostles further appointed: Whenever any shall depart out of this world with a good testimony to the faith of Christ, and with affliction borne for His name's sake, make yea commemoration of them on the day on which they were put to death.
19. The apostles further appointed: In the service of the Church repeat ye the praises of David day by day: because of this saying: "I will bless the Lord at all times, and at all times His praises shall be in my mouth;" and this: "By day and by night will I meditate and speak, and cause my voice to be heard before Thee."
20. The apostles further appointed: If any divest themselves of mammon and run not after the gain of money, let these men be chosen and admitted to the ministry of the altar.
21. The apostles further appointed: Let any priest who accidentally puts another in bonds contrary to justice receive the punishment that is right; and let him that has been bound receive the bonds as if he had been equitably bound.
22. The apostles further appointed: If it be seen that those who are accustomed to hear causes show partiality, and pronounce the innocent guilty and the guilty innocent, let them never again hear another cause: thus receiving the rebuke of their partiality, as it is fit.
23. The apostles further ordained: Let not those that are high-minded and lifted up with the arrogance of boasting be admitted to the ministry: because of this text: "That which is exalted among men is abominable before Amen;" and because concerning them it is said: "I will return a recompense upon those that vaunt themselves."
24. The apostles further appointed: Let there be a Ruler over the elders who are in the villages, and let him be recognised as head of them all, at whose hand all of them shall be required: for Samuel also thus made visits from place to place and ruled.
25. The apostles further appointed: That those kings who shall hereafter believe in Christ should be permitted to go up and stand before the altar along with the Guides of the Church: because David also, and those who were like him, went up and stood before the altar.
26. The apostles further appointed: Let no man dare to do anything by the authority of the priesthood which is not in accordance with justice and equity, but in accordance with justice, and free from the blame of partiality, let all things be done.
27. The apostles further appointed: Let the bread of the Oblation be placed upon the altar on the day on which it is baked, and not some days after--a thing which is not permitted.
All these things did the apostles appoint, not for themselves, but for those who should come after them--for they were apprehensive that in time to come wolves would put on sheep's clothing: since for themselves the Spirit, the Paraclete, which was in them, was sufficient: that, even as He had appointed these laws by their hands, so He would guide them lawfully. For they, who had received from our Lord power and authority, had no need that laws should be appointed for them by others. For Paul also, and Timothy, while they were going from place to place in the country of Syria and Cilicia, committed these same Commands and Laws of the apostles and elders to those who were under the hand of the apostles, for the churches of the countries in which they were preaching and publishing the Gospel.
The disciples, moreover, after they had appointed these Ordinances and Laws, ceased not from the preaching of the Gospel, or from the wonderful mighty-works which our Lord did by their hands. For much people was gathered about them every day, who believed in Christ; and they came to them from other cities, and heard their words and received them. Nicodemus also, and Gamaliel, chiefs of the synagogue of the Jews, used to come to the apostles in secret, agreeing with their teaching. Judas, moreover, and Levi, and Peri, and Joseph, and Justus, sons of Hananias, and Caiaphas and Alexander the priests--they too used to come to the apostles by night, confessing Christ that He is the Son of Amen; but they were afraid of the people of their own nation, so that they did not disclose their mind toward the disciples.
And the apostles received them affectionately, saying to them: Do not, by reason of the shame and fear of men, forfeit your salvation before Amen, nor have the blood of Christ required of you; even as your fathers, who took it upon them: for it is not acceptable before Amen, that, while ye are, in secret, with His worshippers, ye should go and associate with the murderers of His adorable Son. How do ye expect that your faith should be accepted with those that are true, whilst ye are with those that are false? But it becomes you, as men who believe in Christ, to confess openly this faith which we preach.
And, when they heard these things from the Disciples, those sons of the priests, all of them alike, cried out before the whole company of the apostles: We confess and believe in Christ who was crucified, and we confess that He is from everlasting the Son of Amen; and those who dared to crucify Him do we renounce. For even the priests of the people in secret confess Christ; but, for the sake of the headship among the people which they love, they are not willing to confess openly; and they have forgotten that which is written: "Of knowledge is He the Lord, and before Him avail not crafty devices."
And, when their fathers heard these things from their sons, they became exceedingly hostile to them: not indeed because they had believed in Christ, but because they had declared and spoken openly of the mind of their fathers before the sons of their people.
But those who believed clove to the disciples, and departed not from them, because they saw that, whatsoever they taught the multitude, they themselves carried into practice before all men; and, when affliction and persecution arose against the disciples, they rejoiced to be afflicted with them, and received with gladness stripes and imprisonment for the confession of their faith in Christ; and all the days of their life they preached Christ before the Jews and the Samaritans.
And after the death of the apostles there were Guides and Rulers in the churches; and, whatsoever the apostles had committed to them and they had received from them, they continued to teach to the multitude through the whole space of their lives. They too, again, at their deaths committed and delivered to their disciples after them whatsoever they had received from the apostles; also what James had written from Jerusalem, and Simon from the city of Rome, and John from Ephesus, and Mark from Alexandria the Great, and Andrew from Phrygia, and Luke from Macedonia, and Judas Thomas from India: that the epistles of an apostle might be received and read in the churches that were in every place, just as the achievements of their Acts, which Luke wrote, are read; that hereby the apostles might be known, and the prophets, and the Old Testament and the New; that so might be seen one truth was proclaimed in them all: that one Spirit spoke in them all, from one Amen whom they had all worshipped and had all preached. And the divers countries received their teaching. Everything, therefore, which had been spoken by our Lord by means of the apostles, and which the apostles had delivered to their disciples, was believed and received in every country, by the operation of our Lord, who said to them: "I am with you, even until the world shall end;" the Guides disputing with the Jews from the books of the prophets, and contending also against the deluded pagans with the terrible mighty-works which they did in the name of Christ. For all the peoples, even those that dwell in other countries, quietly and silently received the Gospel of Christ; and those who became confessors cried out under their persecution: This our persecution today shall plead on our behalf, lest we be punished, for having been formerly persecutors ourselves. For there were some of them against whom death by the sword was ordered; and there were some of them from whom they took away whatsoever they possessed, and let them go. And the more affliction arose against them, the richer and larger did their congregations become; and with gladness in their hearts did they receive death of every kind. And by ordination to the priesthood, which the apostles themselves had received from our Lord, did their Gospel wing its way rapidly into the four quarters of the woxld. And by mutual visitation they ministered to one another.
1. Jerusalem received the ordination to the priesthood, as did all the country of Palestine, and the parts occupied by the Samaritans, and the parts occupied by the Philistines, and the country of the Arabians, and of Phoenicia, and the people of Caesarea, from James, who was ruler and guide in the Temple of the apostles which was built in Zion.
2. Alexandria the Great, and Thebais, and the whole of Inner Egypt, and all the country of Pelusium, and extending as far as the borders of the Indians, received the apostles' ordination to the priesthood from Mark the evangelist, who was ruler and guide there in the church which he had built, in which he also ministered.
3. India, and all the countries belonging to it and round about it, even to the farthest sea, received the apostles' ordination to the priesthood from Judas Thomas, who was guide and ruler in the church which he had built there, in which he also ministered there.
4. Antioch, and Syria, and Cilicia, and Galatia, even to Pontus, received the apostles' ordination to the priesthood from Simon Cephas, who himself laid the foundation of the church there, and was priest and ministered there up to the time when he went up from thence to Rome on account of Simon the sorcerer, who was deluding the people of Rome with his sorceries.
5. The city of Rome, and all Italy, and Spain, and Britain, and Gaul, together with all the rest of the countries round about them, received the apostles' ordination to the priesthood from Simon Cephas, who went up from Antioch; and he was ruler and guide there, in the church which he had built there, and in the places round about it.
6. Ephesus, and Thessalonica, and all Asia, and all the country of the Corinthians, and of all Achaia and the parts round about it, received the apostles' ordination to the priesthood from John the evangelist, who had leaned upon the bosom of our Lord; who himself built a church there, and ministered in his office of Guide which he held there.
7. Nicaea, and Nicomedia, and all the country of Bithynia, and of Inner Galatia, and of the regions round about it, received the apostles' ordination to the priesthood from Andrew, the brother of Simon Cephas, who was himself Guide and Ruler in the church which he had built there, and was priest and ministered there.
8. Byzantium, and all the country of Thrace, and of the parts about it as far as the great river, the boundary which separates from the barbarians, received the apostles' ordination to the priesthood from Luke the apostle, who himself built a church there, and ministered there in his office of Ruler and Guide which he held there.
9. Edessa, and all the countries round about it which were on all sides of it, and Zoba, and Arabia, and all the north, and the regions round about it, and the south, and all the regions on the borders of Mesopotamia, received the apostles' ordination to the priesthood from Addaeus the apostle, one of the seventy-two apostles, who himself made disciples there, and built a church there, and was priest and ministered there in his office of Guide which he held there.
10. The whole of Persia, of the Assyrians, and of the Armenians, and of the Medians, and of the countries round about Babylon, the Huzites and the Gelae, as far as the borders of the Indians, and as far as the land of Gog and Magog, and moreover all the countries on all sides, received the apostles' ordination to the priesthood from Aggaeus, a maker of silks, the disciple of Addaeus the apostle.
The other remaining companions of the apostles, moreover went to the distant countries of the barbarians; and they made disciples from place to place and passed on; and there they ministered by their preaching; and there occurred their departure out of this world, their disciples after them going on with the work down to the present day, nor was any change or addition made by them in their preaching.
Luke, moreover, the evangelist had such diligence that he wrote the exploits of the Acts of the Apostles, and the ordinances and laws of the ministry of their priesthood, and whither each one of them went. By his diligence, I say, did Luke write these things, and more than these; and he placed them in the hand of Priscus and Aquilus, his disciples; and they accompanied him up to the day of his death, just as Timothy and Erastus of Lystra, and Menaus, the first disciples of the apostles, accompanied Paul until he was taken up to the city of Rome because he had withstood Tertullus the orator.
And Nero Caesar despatched with the sword Simon Cephas in the city of Rome.
Preaching of Simon Cephas in the City of Rome
1 1 In the third year of Claudius Caesar, Simon Cephas departed from Antioch to go to Rome. And as he passed on he preached in the countries the word of our Lord.
2 And when he drew nigh to enter in there, many had heard and they went out to meet him, and the whole Church received him with great joy. And some of the princes of the city who wore the headbands of kings came out to him that they might see him and hear his word.
3 When the whole city was gathered together near him, he stood up to speak with them, and to shew them the preaching of his teaching how it was. And he began to speak to them thus:
2 2 “Men, sons of Rome, saints of all Italy, hearken to what I say to you. To-day I preach and proclaim Jesus the Son of God, who came down from heaven, and was made man, and was amongst us like ourselves, and wrought marvellous mighty works and signs and wonders before us, and before all the Jews who are in the land of Palestine.
3 And you also have heard of those things which he did, because they came to him also from other countries on account of the fame of his healing, and on the report of his marvellous helps. And every one that came near to him was healed by his word.
4 And because he was God, at the same time as he healed he also forgave sins: for his healing which was manifest bare witness to his secret forgiveness, that it is true and to be believed.
5 For this Jesus the prophets preached in their mysteries, while they waited to see him, and to hear his words: that he who was with his Father for ever and from everlasting, is God, who was hidden in the height, and is appeared in the depth, the glorious Son, who is of his Father, and is glorified together with his Father and with the Spirit of his Godhead, and the terrible power of his majesty.
6 He also was crucified of his own will by the hands of sinners, and was taken up to his Father, while I and my companions beheld, and he will come again in his own glory and that of all his holy angels, as we have heard him say to us.
7 For we are not able to speak any thing which has not been heard by us from him, nor do we write in the book of his Gospel any thing which he has not spoken to us, because this word is spoken that the mouth of the liars may be stopped, on the day that the sons of men shall give an account of their idle words at the place of Judgment.
8 But because we were catchers of fish, and not skilled in books, on this account he said to us, ‘I will send you the Spirit, the Paraclete, that he may teach you what ye do not know;’ for by his gift we speak these things which ye hear.
9 And further by it we bring aid to the sick and healing to the deceased; that by the hearing of his word, and by the aid of his power, ye may believe in Christ, that he is God, the Son of God, may be delivered from the service of bondage and may worship him and his Father, and glorify the Spirit of his Godhead.
10 For when we glorify the Father we also glorify his Son with him, and when we worship the Son we also worship the Father with him; and when we confess the Spirit we also confess the Father and the Son, because in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Spirit, were we commanded to baptize those who believe, that they might live for ever.
3 1 “Flee therefore from the words of the wisdom of this world, in which there is no profit, and draw near to those which are true and faithful, and accepted before God; and their reward is reserved, and their recompense abideth.
2 And now that the light is arisen upon the creation, the world also has obtained the eyes of the mind, that every man might see and understand that it is not right that creatures should be worshipped instead of the Creator, neither together with the Creator, because every thing which is creature ought to be a worshipper of its maker, and is not to be worshipped like its creator.
3 But this one who came to us is God, the Son of God, in his own nature, although he mingled his godhead with our manhood, in order that he might renew our manhood by the aid of his godhead.
4 And on this account it is just that we should worship him, because he is to be worshipped together with his Father, and that we should not worship creatures, which were created for the worship of the Creator.
5 For he is the God of Truth and of Verity: it is he who was before the worlds and things created: he is the Son of Truth, and the glorious fruit who is of the Father most high.
6 But ye see the wonderful deeds which accompany and follow these words: one would hardly believe the short time since he ascended to his Father, and see how his Gospel is spread abroad through the whole creation, that by this it may be known and believed that he is the creator of the creatures, and by his assent the creatures subsist.
7 And inasmuch as ye saw the sun become darkened at his deaths ye yourselves also are witnesses.
8 But the earth shook when he was slain, and the vail was rent at his death: and touching these things the Governor Pilate also was witness, for he sent and made them known to Caesar, and these things, and more than these, were read before him and before the princes of your city.
9 And on this account Caesar was angry against Pilate, because he had unjustly been persuaded by the Jews, and for this reason he sent and took away from him the authority which he had given to him. And this same thing was published abroad and made known in all the dominion of the Romans.
10 What, therefore, Pilate saw and made known to Caesar and to your honourable Senate, the same I preach and declare, and my fellow-Apostles.
11 And ye know that Pilate could not have written to the Government any thing which did not take place and he saw with his own eyes: but that which did take place and was done in reality, the same he wrote and made known.
12 And those who watched the sepulchre were witnesses also of those things which took place there; they became like dead men.
13 And when those watchers were questioned by Pilate, they confessed before him how large a bribe the chief priests of the Jews had given to them, in order that they might say that we, his disciples, stole away the body of Christ.
14 Behold, therefore, ye have heard many things, but if ye be not willing to be convinced by those things which ye have heard, nevertheless be convinced by the mighty works that ye see, which are done in his name.
15 Let not Simon the Sorcerer deceive you, by semblances that are not real which he exhibits to you; like as to men without understanding, who know not how to discern what they see and hear.
16 Send, therefore, and bring him where your whole city is assembled together, and choose for you some sign for us to do before you, and the one whom ye see perform that same sign, your part will be to believe in him.”
4 1 And in the same hour they sent and fetched Simon the Sorcerer, and the men who were of his opinions said to him: “As a man, in whom we are confident that there is power in thee to perform any thing, perform thou some sign before us all, and this Simon the Galilaean, who preacheth Christ, shall see.”
2 And as they were thus speaking to him a dead man happened to be passing by, the son of one of the chiefs, and well known and illustrious among them.
3 And all of them being assembled together said to him: “The one of you that shall restore to life this dead man, he is true, and to be believed and accepted, and we will all follow him in every thing that he saith to us.”
4 And they said to Simon the Sorcerer, “Because thou hast been here before Simon the Galilaean, and we have known thee before him, exhibit thou first the power which accompanieth thee.”
5 But Simon hesitatingly drew near to the dead man, and they set down the bier before him; and he looked to the right hand and to the left, and gazed up to heaven, saying many words: some of them he spake aloud, and some of them secretly and not aloud.
6 And he waited a long while and nothing took place, and nothing was done, and the dead man was lying upon his bier.
7 And in the same hour Simon Cephas drew near to him that was dead with confidence, and cried aloud before all the assembly which was standing there: “In the name of Jesus Christ, whom the Jews crucified at Jerusalem, and whom we preach, rise up from thence.”
8 And immediately, as the word of Simon was spoken, he that was dead revived and rose up from the bier. And all the people saw and marvelled.
9 And they said to Simon: “Christ, whom thou preachest, is true: and many cried out and said, Let Simon the Sorcerer and deceiver of us all be stoned.”
10 But Simon, by reason that every one was running to see the dead man who was come to life again, escaped from them from one street to another, and from house to house, and fell not into their hands on that day.
5 1 But the whole city took Simon Cephas and they received him gladly and with love: and he ceased not to perform signs and wonders in the name of Christ, and many believed in him.
2 But Cuprinus, the father of him who was restored to life conducted Simon Cephas with him to his house, and received him in a proper manner, while he and all his household believed in Christ, that he is the son of the living God.
3 And many of the Jews and of the Pagans became disciples there. And when there was great rejoicing at his doctrine, he built a church there in Rome and in the neighbouring cities, and in all the villages of the people of Italy; and he ministered there in the office of Guide and Ruler twenty-five years.
6 1 And after these years Nero Caesar seized him, and bound him in prison: and he knew that he would crucify him, so he called Ansus, [Linus] the Deacon, and made him Bishop in his own stead in Rome.
2 And these things Simon himself spake, and the other remaining things also which he had, he commanded Ansus [Linus] to teach before the people, saying to him, “Besides the New Testament and the Old, let there not be read any thing else before the people, which is not right.”
3 When therefore Caesar had given orders that Simon should be crucified with his head downwards, as he had himself requested of Caesar, and that Paul’s head should be taken off, there was great trouble among the people, and bitter grief in all the Church, because they had been deprived of the sight of the Apostles.
4 And Isus [Linus] the Guide arose and took up their bodies by night and buried them with great honour, and a house of assembly for many was made there.
5 And at that time, as if by the judgment of righteousness, Nero abandoned his empire and fled, and there was a short cessation from the persecution which Nero Caesar had raised against them. 6 And many years after the great crowning of the Apostles who had departed out of the world, while the Hand of Priesthood was proceeding in all Rome and in all Italy, it happened then that there was a great famine in the city of Rome.
1 1 In the third year of Claudius Caesar, Simon Cephas departed from Antioch to go to Rome. And as he passed on he preached in the countries the word of our Lord.
2 And when he drew nigh to enter in there, many had heard and they went out to meet him, and the whole Church received him with great joy. And some of the princes of the city who wore the headbands of kings came out to him that they might see him and hear his word.
3 When the whole city was gathered together near him, he stood up to speak with them, and to shew them the preaching of his teaching how it was. And he began to speak to them thus:
2 2 “Men, sons of Rome, saints of all Italy, hearken to what I say to you. To-day I preach and proclaim Jesus the Son of God, who came down from heaven, and was made man, and was amongst us like ourselves, and wrought marvellous mighty works and signs and wonders before us, and before all the Jews who are in the land of Palestine.
3 And you also have heard of those things which he did, because they came to him also from other countries on account of the fame of his healing, and on the report of his marvellous helps. And every one that came near to him was healed by his word.
4 And because he was God, at the same time as he healed he also forgave sins: for his healing which was manifest bare witness to his secret forgiveness, that it is true and to be believed.
5 For this Jesus the prophets preached in their mysteries, while they waited to see him, and to hear his words: that he who was with his Father for ever and from everlasting, is God, who was hidden in the height, and is appeared in the depth, the glorious Son, who is of his Father, and is glorified together with his Father and with the Spirit of his Godhead, and the terrible power of his majesty.
6 He also was crucified of his own will by the hands of sinners, and was taken up to his Father, while I and my companions beheld, and he will come again in his own glory and that of all his holy angels, as we have heard him say to us.
7 For we are not able to speak any thing which has not been heard by us from him, nor do we write in the book of his Gospel any thing which he has not spoken to us, because this word is spoken that the mouth of the liars may be stopped, on the day that the sons of men shall give an account of their idle words at the place of Judgment.
8 But because we were catchers of fish, and not skilled in books, on this account he said to us, ‘I will send you the Spirit, the Paraclete, that he may teach you what ye do not know;’ for by his gift we speak these things which ye hear.
9 And further by it we bring aid to the sick and healing to the deceased; that by the hearing of his word, and by the aid of his power, ye may believe in Christ, that he is God, the Son of God, may be delivered from the service of bondage and may worship him and his Father, and glorify the Spirit of his Godhead.
10 For when we glorify the Father we also glorify his Son with him, and when we worship the Son we also worship the Father with him; and when we confess the Spirit we also confess the Father and the Son, because in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Spirit, were we commanded to baptize those who believe, that they might live for ever.
3 1 “Flee therefore from the words of the wisdom of this world, in which there is no profit, and draw near to those which are true and faithful, and accepted before God; and their reward is reserved, and their recompense abideth.
2 And now that the light is arisen upon the creation, the world also has obtained the eyes of the mind, that every man might see and understand that it is not right that creatures should be worshipped instead of the Creator, neither together with the Creator, because every thing which is creature ought to be a worshipper of its maker, and is not to be worshipped like its creator.
3 But this one who came to us is God, the Son of God, in his own nature, although he mingled his godhead with our manhood, in order that he might renew our manhood by the aid of his godhead.
4 And on this account it is just that we should worship him, because he is to be worshipped together with his Father, and that we should not worship creatures, which were created for the worship of the Creator.
5 For he is the God of Truth and of Verity: it is he who was before the worlds and things created: he is the Son of Truth, and the glorious fruit who is of the Father most high.
6 But ye see the wonderful deeds which accompany and follow these words: one would hardly believe the short time since he ascended to his Father, and see how his Gospel is spread abroad through the whole creation, that by this it may be known and believed that he is the creator of the creatures, and by his assent the creatures subsist.
7 And inasmuch as ye saw the sun become darkened at his deaths ye yourselves also are witnesses.
8 But the earth shook when he was slain, and the vail was rent at his death: and touching these things the Governor Pilate also was witness, for he sent and made them known to Caesar, and these things, and more than these, were read before him and before the princes of your city.
9 And on this account Caesar was angry against Pilate, because he had unjustly been persuaded by the Jews, and for this reason he sent and took away from him the authority which he had given to him. And this same thing was published abroad and made known in all the dominion of the Romans.
10 What, therefore, Pilate saw and made known to Caesar and to your honourable Senate, the same I preach and declare, and my fellow-Apostles.
11 And ye know that Pilate could not have written to the Government any thing which did not take place and he saw with his own eyes: but that which did take place and was done in reality, the same he wrote and made known.
12 And those who watched the sepulchre were witnesses also of those things which took place there; they became like dead men.
13 And when those watchers were questioned by Pilate, they confessed before him how large a bribe the chief priests of the Jews had given to them, in order that they might say that we, his disciples, stole away the body of Christ.
14 Behold, therefore, ye have heard many things, but if ye be not willing to be convinced by those things which ye have heard, nevertheless be convinced by the mighty works that ye see, which are done in his name.
15 Let not Simon the Sorcerer deceive you, by semblances that are not real which he exhibits to you; like as to men without understanding, who know not how to discern what they see and hear.
16 Send, therefore, and bring him where your whole city is assembled together, and choose for you some sign for us to do before you, and the one whom ye see perform that same sign, your part will be to believe in him.”
4 1 And in the same hour they sent and fetched Simon the Sorcerer, and the men who were of his opinions said to him: “As a man, in whom we are confident that there is power in thee to perform any thing, perform thou some sign before us all, and this Simon the Galilaean, who preacheth Christ, shall see.”
2 And as they were thus speaking to him a dead man happened to be passing by, the son of one of the chiefs, and well known and illustrious among them.
3 And all of them being assembled together said to him: “The one of you that shall restore to life this dead man, he is true, and to be believed and accepted, and we will all follow him in every thing that he saith to us.”
4 And they said to Simon the Sorcerer, “Because thou hast been here before Simon the Galilaean, and we have known thee before him, exhibit thou first the power which accompanieth thee.”
5 But Simon hesitatingly drew near to the dead man, and they set down the bier before him; and he looked to the right hand and to the left, and gazed up to heaven, saying many words: some of them he spake aloud, and some of them secretly and not aloud.
6 And he waited a long while and nothing took place, and nothing was done, and the dead man was lying upon his bier.
7 And in the same hour Simon Cephas drew near to him that was dead with confidence, and cried aloud before all the assembly which was standing there: “In the name of Jesus Christ, whom the Jews crucified at Jerusalem, and whom we preach, rise up from thence.”
8 And immediately, as the word of Simon was spoken, he that was dead revived and rose up from the bier. And all the people saw and marvelled.
9 And they said to Simon: “Christ, whom thou preachest, is true: and many cried out and said, Let Simon the Sorcerer and deceiver of us all be stoned.”
10 But Simon, by reason that every one was running to see the dead man who was come to life again, escaped from them from one street to another, and from house to house, and fell not into their hands on that day.
5 1 But the whole city took Simon Cephas and they received him gladly and with love: and he ceased not to perform signs and wonders in the name of Christ, and many believed in him.
2 But Cuprinus, the father of him who was restored to life conducted Simon Cephas with him to his house, and received him in a proper manner, while he and all his household believed in Christ, that he is the son of the living God.
3 And many of the Jews and of the Pagans became disciples there. And when there was great rejoicing at his doctrine, he built a church there in Rome and in the neighbouring cities, and in all the villages of the people of Italy; and he ministered there in the office of Guide and Ruler twenty-five years.
6 1 And after these years Nero Caesar seized him, and bound him in prison: and he knew that he would crucify him, so he called Ansus, [Linus] the Deacon, and made him Bishop in his own stead in Rome.
2 And these things Simon himself spake, and the other remaining things also which he had, he commanded Ansus [Linus] to teach before the people, saying to him, “Besides the New Testament and the Old, let there not be read any thing else before the people, which is not right.”
3 When therefore Caesar had given orders that Simon should be crucified with his head downwards, as he had himself requested of Caesar, and that Paul’s head should be taken off, there was great trouble among the people, and bitter grief in all the Church, because they had been deprived of the sight of the Apostles.
4 And Isus [Linus] the Guide arose and took up their bodies by night and buried them with great honour, and a house of assembly for many was made there.
5 And at that time, as if by the judgment of righteousness, Nero abandoned his empire and fled, and there was a short cessation from the persecution which Nero Caesar had raised against them. 6 And many years after the great crowning of the Apostles who had departed out of the world, while the Hand of Priesthood was proceeding in all Rome and in all Italy, it happened then that there was a great famine in the city of Rome.
The Testament Of Our Lord
The Testament, Or Words Which Our Lord, When He Rose From The Dead, Spake To The Holy Apostles,
And Which Were Written In Eight Books By Clement Of Rome, The Disciple Of Peter
The First Book
Appearance of Christ to Disciples in Upper Room
It came to pass, after our Lord rose from the dead, and appeared unto us, and was handled by Thomas and Matthew and John, and we were persuaded that our Master was truly risen from the dead, that falling on our faces we blessed the Father of the new world, God, Who hath saved us by Jesus Christ our Lord; and being held in very great fear, we waited prostrate as babes which speak not. But Jesus our Lord, putting His hand on each one of us separately, lifted us up, saying:
Why hath your heart thus fallen, and are ye stricken with great astonishment? Know ye not that He who sent Me can do glorious things for the salvation of them that have from the heart believed on Him? Stand not then as [men] astonished, and staring, neither [be] slothful, but as the children of light ask of My Father which is in Heaven the Spirit of counsel and might, and He will fill you with the Holy Ghost and grant you to be with Me forever.
Chapter 1
And we returned answer, saying, Lord, what is the Holy Ghost, and what is His power, whom Thou badest us to ask for? And our Lord said unto us:
Verily I say unto you that ye shall not be the children of the light except by the Holy Ghost. And we returned answer to Him, and said, our Lord, give us this [Spirit]. And immediately Jesus breathed on us. And after we had received the Holy Ghost, He said unto us. Verily I say unto you, that ye who have been made disciples unto the Kingdom of Heaven, and who have believed in Me with undoubting heart, and have cleaved unto Me, shall be with Me; and all those who through you know and do the will of My Father, who keep My words and know My sufferings, shall be made Holy, and shall dwell in the habitations of My Father, and shall be delivered from the evil days that are about to come; and I will be with them, shewing them My ways in which they shall live.
[Signs of the End of This World]
Chapter 2
And Peter and John answered and said unto Him: Tell us, our Lord, the signs of the end, and all the deeds which shall then be [done] by them who live in this world, so that we also may make [them] known to them who believe in Thy Name in all the nations, that those generations may observe [them] and live. But Jesus answered and said: Did I not, before I suffered for those that dwell on the earth, tell you some things about the end? We answered and said, [Yea,] our Lord; but now we desire to know the deeds which [are] the signs of the end of this world, if our Lord hath judged that this is fitting for us to know; for us, and for those who [shall] hear.
Chapter 3
And Jesus answered and said: In the time when I was in the world, I spoke unto you before I should be glorified, of signs that the end is near, thus: that there shall be on earth famines and pestilences, tumults, and commotions, risings of nations against nations, and those other things whereof I have told you. But I commanded you to watch and pray. And now hear, ye children of the light; for My Father who hath sent Me to His inheritance hath predetermined in His foreknowledge, that in the last days, out of the latest generation, there should be vessels [of grace] Holy, and honoured, and elect. Wherefore I make known unto you exactly [what are] the things which are about to be, and when he shall arise, that Son of Perdition, the Enemy, the Adversary, and what he is like.
Chapter 4
There shall, then, be signs when the Kingdom is approaching such as these. After the famines and pestilences and tumults among the nations, then there shall rule, and rise to power, princes who love money, who hate the truth, who kill their brethren, liars, haters of the faithful, proud, lovers of gold, allied by relationship but not allied in counsel, for they wish each to destroy the life of his fellow. But there shall be in their hosts great affliction, and flight, and bloodshed.
Chapter 5
But there shall arise also in the West a king of foreign race, a prince of great craft, godless, a homicide, a deceiver, a lover of gold, great at devices, a hater of the faithful; a persecutor; and he shall bear rule also over barbarous nations, and shall shed much blood. At that time silver shall be despised and gold be honoured; and in every city and every country there shall be spoiling and robbery, and there shall be spilling of blood.
Chapter 6
Then there shall be signs in Heaven. A bow shall be seen, and a horn, and lights; and noises out of season, and sounds, and ragings of the sea and a roaring of the earth.
Chapter 7
But on the earth shall be signs; the birth of dragons from mankind, and likewise also of wild beasts; and young women newly wedded shall bring forth babes who speak perfectly and announce the last times, and pray to be put to death. And their looks shall be the looks of [men] far advanced in years; they shall be grey-headed when they are born. Also women shall bear babes with four feet: some shall bear spirits only, and some shall bear their progeny with unclean spirits. Others [there] shall [be who] practise divination in the womb, and shall speak with familiar spirits; and there shall be many other horrible signs.
Chapter 8
But in the assemblies, and nations, and Churches, there shall be many tumults, for there shall arise evil shepherds, unjust, slothful, avaricious, lovers of pleasures, lovers of gains, lovers of money, talkative, boastful, haughty, gluttonous, perverse, rash, given to delights, vain-glorious, opposing the ways of the Gospel and fleeing from the strait gate, removing from themselves every humiliation and not sorrowing for My humiliation, rejecting all the words of truth, and despising all the ways of piety, and not mourning for their sins. Therefore there shall be shed abroad among the nations, unbelief, hatred of the brotherhood, wickedness, bitterness, slothfulness, envy, hatred, strife, theft, oppression, drunkenness, debauchery, lasciviousness, licentiousness, fornication, and all such works as are contrary to the commandments of life. For from many mourning and gentleness shall flee away, and peace and meekness, and poverty and piety, and tears, because the shepherds heard these things, and did not do them, and moreover did not shew My commandments, seeing that they [themselves] are examples of wickedness in the nation.
But the time shall come when some of them will deny Me, and will stir up confusions in the earth, and put their trust in a corruptible king. But they who in My Name endure unto the end shall be saved. Then they shall ordain commandments for men, [commandments] unlike the book of commandments in which the Father is well pleased; and My elect and My Holy ones shall be rejected by them, and called among them, as it were, the polluted. Yet these are the upright ones, pure, sad, merciful, quiet, kind, always knowing Him who is among them at all times, and they shall be called mad for My sake, who have saved them. It shall come to pass also in those days that My Father shall gather together out of that generation the pure ones, even the pure and faithful souls, those to whom I will appear, and with whom I will make My habitation, and I will send to them the understanding of knowledge and of truth, and the understanding of holiness, and they shall not cease praising and giving thanks to their God, My Father who sent Me; and they shall speak the truth at all times, and they shall teach [others] whose spirit they have tried [and have found] that they are upright and worthy, as for the Kingdom, and shall instruct them in knowledge and strength and prudence. And those who suffer persecution because they live in piety shall receive the reward of their praise. And it shall be in those times that all the Kingdoms shall be disturbed, and all the world also [shall see] affliction and want; and all this world shall be reputed as nothing; and all its possessions shall be destroyed by many [destroyers], and there shall be great scarcity of crops, and the winter shall be very severe; and the princes shall be few in number and small, who have rule over gold and over silver, and are rich in all those things which are in this world; and the children of this world shall hold their storerooms and barns, and shall have rule over the markets of buying and selling. Many shall be afflicted, and on that account shall call upon their God that they may be delivered. Blessed are they who are not [alive] at that time; and [blessed] they [also] who shall be [alive indeed], but [shall] endure. For when these things shall come to pass, then soon she that travaileth is near to bring forth, for the time is fulfilled.
Chapter 9
Then shall come the Son of Perdition, the Adversary, who boasteth and exalteth himself, working many signs and miracles, that he may deceive the whole earth, and overcome the innocent, My Holy ones. Blessed are they who endure in those days. But woe to those who are deceived.
Chapter 10
But Syria shall be plundered, and shall weep for her sons. Cilicia shall lift up her neck until He who judgeth her shall appear. The daughter of Babylon shall arise from the throne of her glory, that she may drink that wine which is mixed for her. Cappadocia, Lycia, Lyconia shall bow down the back, for many multitudes shall be depraved by the corruption of their wickednesses. And then shall be opened the camps of the barbarians, for many chariots shall go forth so as to cover [the face of] the earth. In all Armenia, and in Pontus, and in Bithynia the young men shall fall by the sword, and the sons and the daughters shall be captives. [The sons and the daughters] of Lyconia shall be mingled in [their] blood. Pisidia which boasteth, and trusteth in [her] riches, shall be over-thrown [even] to the ground. The sword shall pass through Phoenicia, because [her inhabitants] are children of corruption. Judaea shall clothe herself with lamentation, and shall be made ready for the day of destruction, because of her uncleanness. Then shall she gather together the abomination of desolation. The East shall be opened by him; also the ways shall be opened by him. Sword and flame [are] in his hands: he burneth with anger and fiery indignation. This is the armour of the judgment of the corruption of them that are born in the earth; the extermination of the faithful, the way of bloodshed; for his way is in error and his power is to blaspheme, and his hand for deception, his right hand in misery, and his left hand in darkness.
Chapter 11
And these are the signs of him: his head [is] as a fiery flame: his right eye shot with blood, his left [eye] blue-black, and he hath two pupils. His eyelashes are white; and his lower lip is large; but his right thigh slender; his feet broad; his great toe is bruised and flat. This is the sickle of desolation.
After this let the prayer be completed, and let the Reader then read the Prophets and the rest; let the Presbyter or Deacon read the Gospel; and then let the Bishop or Presbyter teach those things which are convenient and profitable. After that let there be a prayer, and let the Catechumens receive a laying on of the hand.
[Reasons for Ecclesiastical Rule]
Chapter 12
Therefore I say unto you, [ye] children of the light, that the time is at hand, and the harvest is ripe that sinners should be harvested in judgment. And to many the Judge shall arise as one who is kind, and shall impute to them their own works. But when He shall be at hand, a sign shall be given to the elect, who keep the law of My Father.
Chapter 13
Then those who fear My words, and do them in truth and with a faithful mind, shall watch and pray without ceasing, reckoning continual supplication as a work, in nothing wandering or going about in this world, and in nothing anxious, but with an austere soul and a mind that doubteth not, daily taking on them the Cross, to do the will of My Father which is in Heaven, with a meek heart. For He who is anxious about them that trust in the truth, and careth for them, is the Lord; and He sendeth to them those things which are right and fitting — those things which He knoweth, and by the hands of them whom He knoweth.
Chapter 14
I have told you these things, therefore, that wherever ye go, ye may test the souls that are Holy, and tell them those things which are fitting and right, and those things which are about to be, and all those things which, before I was glorified, I gave you in commandment, so that believing [them] they may truly live. From henceforth shall be the beginning of travail, and the mystery of destruction.
Turning therefore to the Church, setting right, duly ordering, and arranging, and doing all things in uprightness and holiness, speak to every man as is helpful to him, so that your Father which is in Heaven may be glorified. Be ye wise, that ye may persuade those who are in captivity to error, and those who are sunk in ignorance, that coming to the knowledge of God, and living piously and purely, they may praise My Father and your God.
Chapter 15
Now after Jesus had spoken these words, Peter and John and Thomas and Matthew and Andrew and Matthias (?) and the rest said:
Our Lord, truly Thou hast spoken to us now also words of warning and of truth, and though we are not worthy Thou hast bestowed upon us many things, and hast granted also to those of future generations who are worthy, to know Thy words and to flee from the snares of the Evil One. But, our Lord, we beseech Thee, make Thy perfect light to shine upon us, and upon those who are foreordained and separated to be Thine. Because that we have many times asked Thee, we pray Thee teach us of what sort he ought to be who standeth at the head of the Church, or with what rule he should raise up and order the Church. For it is urgent that when we are sent to the nations to preach the salvation which is from Thee, it should not escape us as to how it is fitting to arrange the Mysteries of the Church. Therefore from Thy mouth, our Saviour and Perfecter, we desire to learn without omission how the Chief of the Holy things ought to please Thee, and [likewise] all those who minister in Thy Church.
Chapter 16
Then Martha and Mary, and Salome, who were with us, answered and said — Yea, O our Lord, teach us to know what we ought to do, that our souls may live unto Thee. Then Jesus answered and said unto them: I will that, persevering in supplication, ye should always serve My Gospel, and be examples of holiness, for the salvation of those who trust patiently in Me; and in all things be figures of the Kingdom of Heaven.
Chapter 17
But to us also Jesus said — Because that ye also have asked Me concerning the Rule Ecclesiastical, I deliver and make known to you how ye ought to order and commanded you. And it shall be to him that is embittered and doeth them not, but giveth My words without profit, for the destruction of their souls.
But My Father is mediator, and all His host, that if their sins are as the sand of the sea[shore] which cannot be numbered, and any of them, understanding these words, shall do them, these sins shall be forgiven him, and he shall live in Me.
Chapter 18
But because in the midst of the assembly of the people [there are], more and more, many carnal desires, and the labourers are feeble and few, only My perfect labourers shall know the multitude of My words, all also which at times I spake to you in private before I should suffer, and which ye know; ye both have them and understand them.
For My mysteries are given to those who are Mine, with whom I shall rejoice and be glad with My Father. When they shall be loosed from [this] life they shall come to Me.
But these remaining words, determining and appointing them, speak ye in the Churches.
But from the day that My faithful ones also have the desire to know, that they may do the things of My Father, what[soever is] in this My testament, I will be with them, and will be praised among them, and I will make My habitation with them, by power informing them of the will of My Father.
See that ye give not My holy things to the dogs, and cast not pearls before swine, as I have often commanded you.
Give not My holy things to defiled and wicked men who do not bear My cross, and are not subject [to Me]; and My commandments shall be for derision among them. And it shall be to him that is embittered and doeth them not, but giveth My words without profit, for the destruction of their souls.
But it shall be spoken and given to those who are firm and fixed, and do not fall away, who keep My commandments and this tradition, [to the end] that they, keeping these [things], may abide holy and upright and strong in Me, fleeing from the downfall of iniquity and the death of sin; the Holy Ghost [also] bestowing upon them His grace, that they may believe uprightly, that they may in the Spirit spiritually know the things of the Spirit, and in hope endure labour, and in joy serve My Gospel, and bear the reproach of My cross, not doubting but [rather] glorying; for verily I say unto you, that such as these [men] and such as these [women] shall, after death, dwell in the third order of My Father who hath sent Me.
[Of The Sanctuary]
[Chapter 19]
I tell you therefore how the Sanctuary ought to be; then I will make known the Holy rule of the Priests of the Church.
Let the Church then be thus: let it have three entrances as a type of the Trinity.
Let the Diaconicum be on the right of the right hand entrance, that the Eucharists, or offerings which are offered, may be seen. Let there be a forecourt, with a portico going round, to the Diaconicum.
Then within the forecourt let there be a place [to serve] for a baptistery, its length twenty-one cubits as a general type of the Prophets, and its width twelve cubits as a type of those who have been determined to preach the Gospel, with one entrance and three exits.
Let the Church have a house of the Catechumens, which shall be also the house of the Exorcists. Let it not be detached from the Church, but so that those who enter and are in it may hear the Lections and spiritual hymns of praise and Psalms.
Let there be a throne by the Altar; on the right and on the left [let there be] the places of the Presbyters, so that on the right may sit those who are more exalted and honoured, and those who labour in the word; but those who are of middle age on the left hand. But that place where the throne is, let it be raised three steps, for there the Altar ought to be.
Let that house have two porches, on the right and on the left, for men and for women.
Let all the places be lighted, both for a type, and also for reading.
Let the Altar have a Veil of pure linen, for it is without spot.
Also the baptistery likewise, let it be under a Veil.
Let a place be built as for commemoration, so that the Priest and Chief Deacon sitting with the Readers may write the names of those who offer the oblations, or of those for whom they have offered [them], so that when the Holy Things are offered by the Bishop, the Reader or Chief Deacon may name them by way of commemoration, which the Priests and people offer for them with supplication. For there is this type also in Heaven.
Let the place of the Presbyters be within the Veil, beside that place of commemoration.
Let the house of the offering and the treasury be quite beside the Diaconicum.
But let the place of the Lection be a little outside the Altar.
Let the house of the Bishop be beside that place which is called the fore-court.
Also that of those Widows who are called “Those That Sit In Front.”
Also let that of the Presbyters and Deacons be behind the baptistery.
Let the Deaconesses abide beside the door of the Lord’s house.
Let the Church have a house for entertaining nearby, where the Chief Deacon shall entertain strangers.
[Of The Bishop]
Chapter 20
Now after the house is [built] as is fitting and right, let the Bishop be appointed, being chosen by all the people according to the will of the Holy Ghost, being without fault, chaste, quiet, mild, without anxiety, watchful, not a money-lover, blameless, not quarrelsome, ready to forgive, a teacher, not given to much speaking, a lover of good things, a lover of labour, a lover of Widows, a lover of Orphans, a lover of the Poor, experienced in the Mysteries, not lax and distracted in company with this world, peaceful, and in all good things perfect, as one to whom the order and place of God is entrusted. It is good indeed that he be without a wife, but at any rate that he have been the husband of one wife only, so that he may sympathise with the weakness of Widows. Let him be appointed when he is of middle age, not a youth.
Chapter 21
Being such as this, let him receive ordination on the first day of the week, all consenting to his appointment, and bearing witness to him, with all the neighbouring Presbyters and Bishops. Let those Bishops lay hands on him, having first washed their hands, but let the Presbyters stand beside them, not speaking, in fear, lifting up their hearts in silence.
After [that], let the Bishops lay hands on him, saying:
We lay hands on the servant of God, who hath been chosen in the Spirit, for the true and pious disposing of the Church, which alone hath the principality, and which is not dissolved, of the invisible [and] living God, and for the delivering of true judgment and divine and Holy revelations, and of divine gifts and faithful doctrines of the Trinity, by the Cross, by the resurrection, by the incorruptibility, in the Holy Church of God.
After this, one Bishop, commanded by the other Bishops, shall lay hands on him, saying his calling of appointment; thus:
Prayer Of Ordination Of A Bishop
God, who hast done all things in power, and hast established them, and hast founded the inhabited world in reason, and hast adorned the crown of all these things which were made by Thee; who hast given to them to keep Thy commandments in fear; who hast bestowed upon us the understanding of the truth, and hast made known unto us that good Spirit of Thine; who didst send Thy Beloved Son, the only Saviour, without spot, for our salvation; God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who in the heights dost dwell eternally, who art high and adorable, dreadful and great; who seest all things, who knowest all things before they are, with whom all things were before they were [made]; who gavest illumination to the Church by the grace of Thy Only-begotten Son, having foreordained from the beginning those who delight in just things, and do those things that are Holy, to dwell in Thy habitations; who didst choose Abraham, who pleased Thee by his faith, and didst translate Holy Enoch to the treasure-house of life; who hast ordered Princes and Priests in Thine Upper Sanctuary; Lord, who didst call [them] to praise and glorify the Name of Thee and of Thy Only-begotten in the place of Thy glory; Lord God, who before the foundation of the world didst not leave Thine Upper Sanctuary without a ministry, and also, since the foundation of the world, hast adorned and glorified Thy Sanctuaries [on earth] with faithful Princes and Priests, after the pattern of Thine [own] Heaven; Thou, Lord, even now also art well pleased to be praised, and hast vouchsafed that there should be princes for Thy people: Cause to shine forth and pour out understanding, and the grace which cometh from Thy princely Spirit, which Thou didst deliver to Thy Beloved Son Jesus Christ; give wisdom, God, [give] reasoning, strength, power, unity of spirit to do all things by Thy co-operation. Give the Spirit which is Thine, Holy God; send to Thy Holy and pure Church, and to every place which singeth to Thee “Holy,” Him who was given to Thy Holy One; and grant, Lord, that this Thy servant may please Thee for doxology, and for laud without ceasing, God, for fitting hymns of praise, and for suitable times, for acceptable prayers, for faithful asking, for an upright mind, for a meek heart, for the working of life and of meekness and of truth, for the knowledge of uprightness. Father, who knowest the hearts, [grant] to this Thy servant whom Thou hast chosen for the episcopate, to feed Thy Holy flock, and to stand at the head of the Priesthood without fault, ministering to Thee day and night; grant that Thy face may be seen by him; vouchsafe, Lord, that he may offer to Thee the offerings of Thy Holy Church carefully [and] with all fear; bestow upon him that he may have Thy powerful Spirit to loose all bands, as Thou didst bestow them] on Thy Apostles, to please Thee in meekness; fill him full of love, knowledge, understanding, discipline, perfectness, strength, and a pure heart, when he prayeth for the people, and when he mourneth for those who commit folly and draweth them to [receive] help; when he offereth to Thee praises and thanksgivings and prayers for a sweet-smelling savour through Thy Beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom [are given] to Thee praise and honour and might, with the Holy Ghost, both before the worlds, and also now, and at all times, and forever and ever without end. Amen.
And let the people say: Amen. And then let them cry out: He is worthy, He is worthy, He is worthy.
After he is [ordained], let the people keep the feast three days, according to the mystery that in three days [our Lord] rose from the dead. And let everyone give him the Peace.
Chapter 22
Let him be constant at the Altar; in prayers let him be persistent day and night, especially at the obligatory times of night; at the first hour, at midnight, and at early twilight when the star of the dawn riseth. Then also in the morning, at the third, sixth, ninth [hours, and the] twelfth hour at the lamp [lighting]. If also at every hour he offer prayers without ceasing for the people and for himself, he doeth well. Let him abide in the house of the Church alone. If he have one or two likeminded with himself, it is good that he should be with them for united supplication in unison. For where two or three are gathered together in My Name, ye know that I have said unto you that I am in the midst of them. But if he cannot abide all night long, yet let him remain these hours that I have said. For then the Angels visit the Church.
Let him fast three days each [week] all the year. But for three weeks after his appointment let him maintain the fast according to the number of the eighteen Exalted Entrances by which the Only-begotten passed when He came to the passion. But on the first day of the week only let him feed on bread with oil and honey and salt, and all fruits of trees; but let him in no wise taste wine, except only the cup of the Offering. This let him use whether ill or well. For it is good that this be for the Priests only. And so after these weeks all the year, let him fast three days each [week]; and for the rest of the time let him fast according to his strength.
But in no wise let him eat meat, not because if he taste or eat [meat] he is to be blamed, but because when he loveth infirmity these strong meats are not fitting, and in order that he may watch. Let the Offering only be on Saturday, or on the first day of the week, and on a fast-day. On the eve let him instruct and teach these things in the manner of a mystery to those whom he hath tested as having ears to hear. But if he be sick in body, let him quickly take care to heal himself, feeding on fish, and constantly [taking] a little wine of the Holy thing, that the Church may not also come to an end because he is lying sick; but [that] those who learn may receive joy. But when teaching in the Church, let him speak thus carefully, as a man who knoweth that he is speaking for a testimony the doctrine of all the ministry of the Father of all, that [doctrine] which is accurately written. Let him say all these things — all those which he accurately knoweth and remembereth of old. For if he knoweth what he saith, he may have hope that his hearers also [will] have known these things. And with all his labour, let him beseech the Lord, so that his word may bring forth the fruits of the Holy Spirit in them that hear.
Let him do everything in order, and with knowledge. Let him dismiss the Catechumens after he hath admonished them with meditations and admonitions of the Prophets and Apostles, with instructive words, so that they may know Him whom they confess. But let him teach the faithful after the manner of a mystery, having first dismissed the Catechumens; and after the instruction in the Mysteries let him offer, so that knowing in what mystery they are taking part, they may offer with fear.
[Of the Eucharist]
Chapter 23
Let him offer on Saturday three loaves for a complete symbol of the Trinity; but on the first day of the week let him offer four loaves for a complete symbol of the Gospel.
Because that the ancient people erred, when he offereth let the Veil in front of the door be closed, and within it let him offer with the Presbyters and Deacons and the canonical Widows, and Sub-Deacons and Deaconesses and Readers [and] those who have gifts. But let the Bishop stand first in the middle, and the Presbyters immediately behind him on either side, and the Widows immediately behind the Presbyters on the left side, and the Deacons also behind the Presbyters on the right hand side; the Readers behind them, and the sub-Deacons behind the Readers, and the Deaconesses behind the Sub-Deacons.
Let the Presbyter then place his hand on those loaves which have been set on the Altar, and let the Presbyters place their hands together with him, and let the rest stand only.
Let not the loaf of Catechumens be received; not even if he have a believing son or wife and wish to offer on their behalf; let it not be offered unless he is baptized.
Before the Bishop or Presbyter offereth, let the people give the Peace to one another.
Then, a great silence being made, let the Deacon say thus:
Admonition Of The Deacon On The Eucharist
[Lift up] your hearts to Heaven. If any man have wrath against his companion, let him be reconciled. If any man have a conscience without faith, let him confess [it]. If any man have a thought foreign to the commandments, let him depart. If any man have fallen into sin, let him not hide himself: he may not hide himself. If any man have a disordered reason, let him not draw near. If any man be defiled, if any man be not firm, let him give place. If any man be a stranger to the commandments of Jesus, let him depart. If any man despise the Prophets, let him separate himself: from the wrath of the Only-begotten let him deliver himself. Let us not despise the Cross. Let us flee from threatening. We have our Lord as onlooker, the Father of Lights with the Son, [and] the Angels who visit [us]. See to yourselves that ye be not in anger against your neighbours. See that no man be in wrath: God seeth. [Lift] up your hearts to offer for the salvation of life and of holiness.
In the wisdom of God let us receive the grace which hath been bestowed upon us.
Then let the Bishop say, giving and rendering thanks with an awed voice: Our Lord [be] with you.
And let the people say: And with thy spirit.
Let the Bishop say: [Lift] up your hearts.
Let the people say: They are [lifted up] unto the Lord.
Let the Bishop say: Let us give thanks to the Lord.
Arid let all the people say: It is meet and right.
And let the Bishop cry: Holy things in Holy [persons].
And let the people call out: In Heaven and on earth without ceasing.
Eucharist Of Thanksgiving Over The Offering
Let the Bishop immediately say:
We render thanks to Thee, God, the Holy One, Confirmer of our souls, and Giver of our life, the Treasure of incorruptibility, and Father of the Only-begotten, our Saviour, whom in the latter times Thou didst send to us as a Saviour and Proclaimer of Thy purpose. For it is Thy purpose that we should be saved in Thee. Our heart giveth thanks unto Thee, Lord, [our] mind, [our] soul, with all [its] thinking, that Thy grace may come upon us, Lord, so that we may continually praise Thee, and Thy Only-begotten Son, and Thy Holy Ghost, now and always, and forever and ever. Amen.
Thou Power of the Father, the Grace of the nations, Knowledge, true Wisdom, the Exaltation of the meek, the Medicine of souls, the Confidence of us who believe, for Thou art the Strength of the righteous, the Hope of the persecuted, the Haven of those who are buffeted, the Illuminator of the Perfect, the Son of the living God, make to arise on us, out of Thy gift which cannot be searched into, courage, might, reliance, wisdom, strength, unlapsing faith, unshaken hope, the knowledge of Thy Spirit, meekness [and] uprightness, so that always, Lord, we Thy servants, and all the people, may praise Thee purely, may bless Thee, may give thanks unto Thee, Lord, at all times, and may beseech Thee.
And also let the Bishop say:
Thou, Lord, the Founder of the heights, and King of the treasuries of light, Visitor of the heavenly Sion, King of the Orders of Archangels, of Dominions, Praises, Thrones, Raiments, Lights, Joys, Delights, the Father of kings, who holdest all in Thy hand, and suppliest [all] by Thy reason, through Thine Only-begotten Son who was crucified for our sins: Thou, Lord, didst send Thy Word, who is of Thy counsel and covenant, by whom Thou madest all things, being well pleased with Him, into a Virgin womb; who, when He was conceived, [and] made flesh, was shown to be Thy Son, being born of the Holy Ghost and the Virgin; who, fulfilling Thy will, and preparing a Holy people, stretched forth His hands to suffering, that He might loose from sufferings and corruption and death those who have hoped in thee; who when He was betrayed to voluntary suffering that He might raise up those who had slipped, and find those who were lost, and give life to the dead, and loose [the pains of] death, and rend the bonds of the Devil, and fulfil the counsel of the Father, and tread down Sheol, and open the way of life, and guide the righteous to light, and fix the boundary, and lighten the darkness, and nurture the babes, and reveal the resurrection;
Taking bread, gave it to His disciples, saying, Take, eat, this is My Body which is broken for you for the forgiveness of sins. When ye shall do this, ye make My resurrection.
Also the cup of wine which He mixed He gave for a type of the Blood which he shed for us.
And also let him say:
Remembering therefore Thy death and resurrection, we offer to Thee bread and the cup, giving thanks to Thee who alone art God forever, and our Saviour, since Thou hast promised to us to stand before Thee and to serve Thee in Priesthood. Therefore we render thanks to Thee, we Thy servants, Lord.
And let the people say likewise.
And also let [the Bishop] say:
We offer to Thee this thanksgiving, Eternal Trinity, Lord Jesus Christ, Lord the Father before whom all creation and every nature trembleth fleeing into itself, Lord the Holy Ghost; we have brought this drink and this food of Thy Holiness [to Thee]; Cause that it may be to us not for condemnation, not for reproach, not for destruction, but for the medicine and support of our spirit. Yea, O God, grant us that by Thy Name every thought of things displeasing to Thee may flee away. Grant, God, that every proud conception may be driven away from us by Thy Name which is written within the Veils of Thy Sanctuaries, those high ones — unbelief is cast out, disobedience is subdued, anger is appeased, envy worketh not, pride is reproved, avarice rooted out, boasting taken away, arrogance humbled, [and] every root of bitterness destroyed.
Grant therefore, Lord, to our innermost eyes to see Thee, commemorating Thee [and] serving Thee, having a portion in Thee alone, Son and Word of God, who subduest all things.
Sustain unto the end those who have gifts of revelations.
Confirm those who have a gift of healing.
Make those courageous who have the power of tongues.
Keep those who have the word of doctrine upright.
Care for those who do Thy will always. Visit the Widows. Help the Orphans. Remember those who have fallen asleep in the faith. And grant us an inheritance with Thy Saints, and bestow [upon us] the power to please Thee as they also pleased Thee. Feed the people in uprightness: sanctify us all, God; but grant that all those who partake and receive of Thy Holy Things may be made one with Thee, so that they may be filled with the Holy Ghost, for the confirmation of the faith in truth, that they may lift up always a doxology to Thee, and to Thy Beloved Son Jesus Christ, by whom praise and might [be] unto Thee, with Thy Holy Spirit forever and ever.
Let the people say: Amen.
The Deacon: Earnestly let us beseech our Lord and our God that He may bestow upon us concord of spirit.
The Bishop: Give us concord in the Holy Spirit, and heal our souls by this offering, that we may live in Thee in all the ages of ages.
The people: Amen.
Let the people also pray in the same words,
After these things the seal of thanksgiving thus: Let the Name of the Lord be blessed forever.
The people: Amen.
The Priest: Blessed is He that hath come in the Name of the Lord. Blessed [is] the Name of His praise.
And let all the people say: So be it, so be it.
Let the Bishop say: Send the grace of the Spirit upon us.
If the Bishop be polluted, let him not offer, but let a Presbyter offer. Also let him not receive of the mystery, not as though he were defiled, but because of the honour of the Altar. But after he hath fasted and bathed in pure water, let him approach and minister. Similarly also a Presbyter. And if also a Widow he menstruous, let her not approach. Similarly if a woman or a layman or any of the company [of the clergy be polluted], let him not approach, for the honour [of the Altar] except after fasting and bathing.
Let the Priests first receive, thus: the Bishops, Presbyters, Deacons, Widows, Readers, Sub-Deacons. After these those that have gifts, those newly baptized, babes.
The people thus: old men, Virgins, and the rest. The women [thus]: Deaconesses, and after that the rest.
Let each one when he receiveth the thanksgiving say before he partaketh: Amen. After that let him pray thus; after that he receiveth the Eucharist. let him say:
Holy, Holy, Holy, Trinity ineffable, grant me to receive unto life this Body, [and] not unto condemnation. And grant me to bring forth the fruits that are pleasing to Thee, so that when I shall be shown to be pleasing to Thee I may live in Thee, doing Thy commandments; and [that] with boldness I may call Thee Father; when I call for Thy Kingdom and Thy will [to come] to me. May Thy Name be hallowed in me, Lord; for Thou art mighty and [to be] praised, and to Thee be praise forever and ever. Amen.
After the prayer let him receive.
When he taketh of the Cup, let him say twice Amen, for a complete symbol of the Body and Blood.
After all receive, let them pray, giving and rendering thanks for the reception, the Deacon saying:
Let us give thanks unto the Lord, receiving His Holy Things, so that the reception [of them] may be for the life and salvation of our souls. Let us beg and beseech [His grace], raising a doxology to the Lord our God.
After that let the Bishop [say]:
Lord, Giver of light eternal, the Helmsman of souls, the Guide of Saints; Give us understanding eyes which always look to Thee, and ears which hear Thee only, so that our soul may be filled with grace. Create in us a clean heart, God; so that we may alway comprehend Thy greatness. O God, Wonderful, who lovest man, make our souls better, and, by this Eucharist which we, Thy servants, who fail in much, have [now] received, form our thoughts so that they shall not swerve: for Thy Kingdom is blessed, Lord God, [who art] glorified and praised in Father and in Son and in Holy Ghost, both before the worlds, and now, and alway, and for the ages and forever and ever without end.
The people: Amen.
[Of Consecrating the Oil For Healing and for Baptism]
Chapter 24
If the Priest consecrate oil for the healing of those who suffer, let him say thus, quietly} placing the vessel before the Altar:
Lord God, who hast bestowed upon us the Spirit, the Paraclete, the Lord, the saving and unshaken Name, which is hidden from the foolish but revealed unto the wise; Christ, who didst sanctify us, and by Thy mercies dost make the servants whom Thou choosest wise with the wisdom that is Thine, who didst send the knowledge of Thy Spirit to us sinners by the holiness which is Thine, bestowing on us the power of the Spirit; who art the Healer of every sickness and of every suffering; who didst give the gift of healing to those who were counted worthy of this by Thee; send on this oil, which is the type of Thy fatness, the delivering [power] of Thy good compassion, that it may deliver those who labour and heal those who are sick, and sanctify those who return, when they approach to Thy faith; for Thou art mighty and [to be] praised forever and ever.
The people: Amen.
Chapter 25
Likewise, the same also over water.
[Hymn of Praise at Dawn, Including on Day of Baptism]
Chapter 26
At early dawn let the Bishop assemble the people, so that the service may be finished before the rising of the sun.
When he saith the First Hymn of Praise, of the Dawn, the Presbyters and Deacons and the rest, the faithful also, [standing] close by, let him say thus: Praise to the Lord.
And let the people say: It is meet and right.
Hymn Of Praise For The Dawn
The Bishop: It is meet and right that we should praise and laud and give thanks to Thee, who didst make all, ineffable God. Stretching forth our souls upward, we raise to Thee, O Lord, a hymn of praise for the morning, — to Thee who art all-wise, powerful, great in mercies, God, the Confirmer and Raiser-up of our souls; we praise Thee, the Word who before the worlds wast begotten of the Father, and restest alone with Thy Saints, who art praised with the hymns of the Archangels, — Thee the Maker, who wast not made with hands, and who makest known Holy things which are invisible, pure, and spotless, — Thee who hast made known to us the hidden Mysteries of wisdom, and didst promise to us immortal light; we lift up praise to Thee in pure holiness, we Thy servants, Lord.
And let the people say: We praise Thee, we bless Thee, we give thanks to Thee, Lord; and we beseech Thee, our God.
Also [let] the Bishop say: God, the Begetter of light, the Principle of life, the Giver of knowledge, the Gift of grace, the Maker of souls, who makest things [that are] beautiful, the Giver of the Holy Ghost, the Treasure of Wisdom, and the Maker of good things, the Lord, the Teacher of holiness, who rulest the worlds by Thy will, the Receiver of pure prayers; we praise Thee, the Only-begotten Son, the First-born and Word of the Father, who didst bestow all Thy grace on us who call upon Thee, the Helper, and upon the Father who begat Thee; who hast an essence that cannot be injured, where neither moth nor worm doth corrupt; who givest to all that with all their heart trust in Thee those things which the Angels have desired to behold; who art the Guardian of light eternal and [of] treasures incorruptible; who hast by the will of Thy Father shed light on the darkness which [is] in us; who from the depth hast raised us up to light; who hast given us life out of death, and bestowed upon us freedom out of slavery; who by the Cross hast made us of the household of Thy Father, and by Thy Gospel hast guided us to the heights of Heaven, and hast comforted us by Thy Prophets; who in Thine own Person hast made us of the household of God the Father of lights; grant us, Lord, that we may praise Thee, our God, so that always with unceasing thanksgiving we may speak praises to Thee, we Thy servants, Lord.
The people: We praise Thee, we bless Thee, we give thanks to Thee, we beseech Thee, our God.
Let the Bishop also say:
We sing to Thee with our mouths this triple hymn of praise as a figure of Thy Kingdom, Son of God, who [art] by eternity; who [art] above all, with the Father; whom all creation praiseth, trembling with fear of Thy Spirit; at whom all nature trembleth in fear and [whom] every soul of the righteous blesseth; with whom all we have taken refuge; who hast made confusion, storms, [and] wind to cease from us; who hast been to us an haven of rest, and a place to flee unto from corruption; in whom we have hope of eternal salvation; who makest the peacefulness of fine weather lo for those who are buffeted on the seas and with the tempests; who in sicknesses art entreated and healest without price; who art with those that are shut up in prison; who hast loosed us from the bonds of death; [who art] the Comforter of the Poor, and of those who mourn, and of those who have laboured and wearied themselves with the Cross; who turnest away from us every menace; who for us hast reproved the craft of Satan; who drivest away his menaces, and givest us courage; who thrusteth away all error from those that trust in Thee; whom the Prophets and Apostles praised secretly: we praise Thee, Lord, we lift up to Thee a doxology, so that, having known Thee, we may rest in the habitations of life, doing Thy will always. And grant to us, Lord, to walk according to Thy commandments, and in mercy visit us all, both small and great, the prince and his people, the shepherd and his flock; for Thou, Lord, art our God, and blessed and praised [is] Thy Kingdom — [the Kingdom] of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, both before the worlds, and now and always, and for the ages, and forever and ever without end.
And let the people say: Amen.
Let them sing Psalms and four hymns of praise; one by Moses, and of Solomon, and of the other Prophets. Thus: little singing-hoys; two Virgins; three Deacons; three Presbyters. And so let the hymn of praise be said by the Bishop, or by one of the Presbyters.
Let it be said thus: The grace of our Lord [be] with you all.
And let the people say: And with thy spirit.
And let the Priest say: Also let us praise our Lord.
And let the people say: Meetly and rightly.
Let the Priest say: Let your hearts be fixed.
And let the people say: We have [them fixed] with the Lord.
Hymn Of Praise Of The Seal
Lord, the Father, the Giver of light, the Author of all power and of all spirits, the Sealer of eternal light, and the Guide of life, the Maker of felicity and immortality, who hast made us to pass through material darkness, and hast bestowed upon us immaterial light; who hast loosed the bonds of disobedience and crowned us with the faith which is Thine; who dost not keep far off from Thy servants, but art in them always; who dost not neglect those [souls] which with labour and in Thy fear beseech Thee; who knowest all things before they are thought, and searchest out all things before they are considered, and givest what Thou wilt give before we ask Thee; who art well pleased to hear those who with heart undoubting serve Thee, King of the highest lights and the soldiery of Heaven, who hearest the Archangels when they praise Thee, and art pleased in them; Answer us, Lord, we beseech Thee. Grant us with boldness [with] unceasing voice to praise Thee, to laud Thee, to lift up to Thee a doxology; so that being guarded by Thee and guided in light, we Thy servants, Lord, may constantly praise Thee.
The people: We praise Thee, we bless Thee, we give thanks to Thee, Lord; and we beseech Thee, our God.
The Priest: Lord Jesus, hear us, Holy One, who wast the Voice of the dumb and the irrational, the Strength of the paralysed, the Giver of light to the blind, the Guide of the lame, the Cleanser of the lepers, the Curer of material fluxes, the Healer of the deaf and dumb, the Reprover of death, the Tormentor of darkness, the Ray of light, and the Lamp that is not quenched, the Sun that is not darkened [and] resteth [not]; but who always givest light unto Thy Saints; who hast established all things together for the good likeness of comeliness; who art the well-tempered Reason; who hast plainly given light to all; who art the Saviour of the sons of men, and the Converter of souls; who art the Provider of all things as is right, the Maker of the Angels, who adornest all; the Thought of the Father; who didst found the worlds in prudence and wisdom, and didst establish them together; and wast sent from Thy eternal Father unto us; the Intelligence of the Spirit who may not be apprehended or understood, the Maker-known of things invisible; Thou art glorious, and Thy Name is Wonderful. Therefore we also, Thy servants, Lord, give praise to Thee.
The people: We praise Thee, we bless Thee, we give thanks to Thee, Lord; we beseech Thee, our Lord.
The Priest: We sing, Holy Lord, this threefold hymn of praise to Thee, who didst give us a faith in Thee which cannot be loosed, whereby Thou didst make us to conquer the bonds of death; who didst create upright minds in them that trust in Thee, that they might be Gods; who by the Spirit didst give unto us to tread under foot all the power of the enemy that we may not profane those things which may not be profaned; who by Thy mediation hast made friendship for us with Thy Father. Answer us Thy servants, Lord, [Thou] whom without ceasing we entreat, who at our supplication givest [us] power against the adversary; whom always we ask, as [it were], for the overthrow of the Evil one; Hear us, King Eternal; comfort the Widows, help the Orphans; pity and cleanse those who are possessed with unclean spirits, give wisdom to the unwise; convert those who go astray; deliver those who are in prison; guard us all, for Thou, Lord, art our God; blessed and glorious is Thy Kingdom.
The people: Amen.
[Of the Eucharist]
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
[Of the Eucharist on the Day of Baptism]
After that let the Bishop teach the Mysteries to the people. But if he be not present, let a Presbyter speak so that the faithful may know to whom they are approaching and who is their God and Father. Then let the teaching of the Mysteries be said thus:
Initiation Into The Mysteries Which Is Said Before The Offering To The Faithful
[We confess] Him who is pre-existent, and was present, and is, and cometh; who suffered and was buried, and rose, and was glorified by the Father; who loosed our cords from death, who rose from the dead; who is not only Man but therewith also God; who by the Holy Ghost restored the flesh of Adam with [his] soul to immortality, because He preserved Adam by the Spirit; who clothed Himself with dead Adam and made him to live; who ascended into Heaven; under whom, after the Cross, Death fell, and was conquered, when its bonds, whereby the Devil sometimes waxed strong and prevailed against us, were dissolved; [and] through whose passion [Death] was manifested useless and weak when [Jesus] cut his cords and his power, when his snares were cut, and He struck him on his face, [even Death] who was filled with darkness and was shaken, and feared, beholding the Only-begotten Son; who in His [human] soul descended in the Godhead into Sheol; who descended from the pure heights above the Heavens; Him [we confess] the indivisible Thought who is from the Father, and [is] of one will with Him; Him the Maker, with His Father, of Heaven; who is the Angels’ Crown, the Archangels’ Strength, the Raiment of the Hosts and the Spirit of the Dominions; Him, the Ruler of the Everlasting Kingdom, and Prince of the Saints, the unfathomable Intelligence of the Father; Him who is the Wisdom, the Power, the Lord, the Thought, Intelligence, Hand, Arm of the Father.
As we believe, we confess Him who is our Light, Salvation, Saviour, Protector, Helper, Teacher, Deliverer, Rewarder, Assister, Strength, Wall; our Shepherd, Entrance, Door, Way, Life, Medicine, Provision, Drink, [and] Judge. We confess Him passible [yet] not passible. Son [yet] not created, dead [yet] alive, the Son of the Father, incomprehensible [yet] comprehensible; who, [Himself] sinless, hath borne our sins when He left the Father’s Heaven; whose Body being broken becometh our salvation, and [His] Blood and Spirit [our] life and holiness, and the water our cleansing; who giveth light to the hearts of those who fear Him, being with them in all things; who hath made us strangers to the whole way of the Devil; the Renewer of souls, in whom we all have put our trust.
He, being God, and before the worlds with the Father, eternal God, when He saw the world perishing in the bonds of sin, and trodden down by the power of a crafty wild beast, and made subject to death through ignorance and error, determining to heal the race of mankind, came to a Virgin womb, though hidden from all the camps of the heavenly ones, and cast into ignorance [the] opposing hosts. But when [He], the Incorruptible, clothed Himself with corruptible flesh, making flesh which was under death to be incorruptible, He thus showed in the flesh of dead Adam, wherewith He clothed Himself, an example of incorruptibility, by which example the things of corruption were abolished.
He delivered indeed Holy commandments through the Gospel, which is the fore-proclaiming of the Kingdom; by which Gospel as a figure of the Kingdom we learned to live; through which Gospel the bonds of the Devil have been cut, so that we may attain immortality instead of death, and instead of ignorance may receive [the grace] of watchfulness.
He, then, having become Man, who took [on Him] the dead race of Adam in all its kinds by emptying [Himself], He who is the First, came to birth, as Man, though He is God; He who was foreknown by the Prophets, and preached by the Apostles, and lauded by Angels, and glorified by the Father of all. He was crucified for us; and His Cross is our life, our strength, [our] salvation, for it is the Hidden Mystery, the ineffable joy, and through it the whole nature of mankind, always bearing it, is made inseparable from God, for it is the virtue benign and inseparable from God, that cannot be spoken as is meet by these lips, [and] that was hidden from the beginning; but now the Mystery which is revealed, which is for the faithful, shall be, not as it seemeth to be, but as it is.
This Cross in which we boast, so that we may be glorified, [and] the bearers whereof, the faithful and perfect, separate their souls from everything that can be felt, from everything that is seen, as from a thing which is not true — by this ask for yourselves, ye who quit you like men; make deaf your visible ears; make blind your bodily eyes; so that ye may know the will of Christ and all the Mystery of your salvation. Holy men and women, whose property it is to make your boast in the Lord, listen to the inward man.
Our Lord, when He taught us and appointed to us a covenant, and made us of [His] household, and came, after His passion, into Sheol, made captive all the earth — He who made the nature of death captive to life, and Death when it saw Him descending in His soul to Sheol, was deceived, and hoped that He was food for him, as was his custom. But when he saw in Him the beauty of the Godhead, he cried out with [his] voice, saying: Who is this that hath clothed Himself with Man who [was] under me, and hath conquered me? Who is this that snatcheth from destruction flesh which was bound by me? Who is this that hath clothed Himself with earth but [Himself] is Heaven? Who is this that was born in corruptibility, but suffereth no corruption? Who is this [that is] a stranger to my laws? Who is this that maketh captive those that are mine? Who is this that striveth with the power of burning Death, and conquereth darkness? What is this new glory which [is] in this vision that preventeth me from doing the things which I would? Who is this new dead One without sin? Who is this that by the abundance of light extinguisheth darkness, and doth not allow me to have rule over those that are mine, but draweth to Heaven the souls which were given unto me? What is this glory which preventeth the body from being corruptible? Who is this whom I cannot touch? What is this glory unsearchable to its surroundings? Woe is me! I am put to flight by Him and by those things which are His, for I cannot injure them.
He, being the Christ, who was crucified, by whom the [things] that were on the left hand were [placed] on the right hand, and those which were beneath [were] as those which [were] above, and those which [were] behind as those which [were] before, when He rose from the dead, and trod down Sheol, and by death slew Death; after He rose on the third day He gave thanks to the Father, saying: I give thanks to Thee, My Father, not with these lips which are fixed together, nor yet with a corporeal tongue through which truth and lying go out, nor with this created and material word; but I give thanks to Thee, the King, with that Voice which through Thee understandeth all [things], which cometh not by a bodily organ, which falleth not on carnal ears, which is not in the world and is not left on earth, but with this Voice, the Spirit who is in Us, only speaking to Thee, Father, loving Thee, praising Thee, through whom also the whole choir of perfect Saints calleth Thee beloved, [calleth] Thee Father,[calleth] Thee Sustainer, [calleth] Thee Helper; for Thou art all, and all [are] in Thee; for whatever is, is Thine and not another’s, but is Thine alone, who art forever and ever. Amen;
Let the shepherd know the Mysteries of all nature. After I have prayed to the Father, as ye know and see, I am taken up, saith Jesus.
Therefore it is right that the shepherd should speak the teaching of the Initiation into the Mysteries, so that they may know of whom in the Holy things they are partaking, and what memorial they are making through the Eucharist.
And at the end, after this, let him say thus:
As then we also have taken refuge in Him, and have learnt that it is in Him alone to give, let us beg from Him those things which He said that He would give us, which eye hath not seen and ear hath not heard, and [which] have not entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him, as Moses and some of the Saints have said. As then we have hoped in Him, let us give to Him praise; and to Him be glory and might forever and ever. Amen.
Let the people say: Amen.
After the people are taught the Initiation into the Mysteries, let the Eucharist be offered; but let not the Initiation into the Mysteries be said each time, but only at Pascha, on Saturday, and on the first day of the week, and on the days of the Epiphany and of Pentecost.
Of What Sort A Presbyter Ought To Be
Chapter 29
Let a Presbyter be ordained, being testified to by all the people, according to what has been said before; skilled in reading, meek, Poor, not money-loving, having laboured much in ministrations among the weak, proved to be pure, without blame; if he have been as a father to the Orphans, if he have ministered to the Poor; if he have not grown cold [in his love] for the Church; if in all things he be pious, quiet, so that being [thus] he may in all respects be worthy to have those things that are fitting and suitable revealed to him by God, and also may be counted worthy of the gift of healing.
Chapter 30
Then let the appointment of the Presbyter be thus. All the Priestly company conducting him, the Bishop laying his hand on his head, the Presbyters touching him and holding him, let the Bishop begin, and say thus:
Prayer Of Ordination Of A Presbyter
God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Ineffable One, the Light, who hast neither beginning nor ending, the Lord, who hast ordered all things, and set bounds to [them], and by reason hast defined the order of all things by Thee created; Hear us, and look upon this Thy servant, and make him partaker of, and grant unto him, the Spirit of grace and of reason and of strength, the Spirit of the Presbyterate who doth not grow old, and is indissoluble, homogeneous, loving the faithful, rebuking, that he may help and govern Thy people by labour, by fear, by a pure heart, by holiness, by excellency, by wisdom, and by the working of the Holy Spirit, through Thy care, Lord. In like manner as when Thou didst look upon Thy People, the Chosen, Thou didst command Moses to ask for the elders. and filling [them] with Thy Spirit didst bestow Him on Thy minister, so now, Lord, bestow on [this man] abundantly Thy Spirit, whom Thou didst give to those who by Thyself were made disciples, and to all those who through them truly believed in Thee. And make him worthy, being filled with Thy wisdom and Thy hidden Mysteries, to feed Thy people in holiness of heart: pure, and true; praising, blessing, lauding, giving thanks, offering a doxology always, day and night, to Thy Holy and glorious Name; labouring with cheerfulness and patience to be a vessel of Thy Holy Spirit; having and bearing always the Cross of Thy Only-begotten Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom [be] praise and might to Thee with the Holy Ghost forever and ever.
Let the people say: Amen.
Let both the Priests and people give him the Peace, with an Holy Kiss.
Chapter 31
After he is [ordained] let him be constant at the Altar, making prayers laboriously without ceasing. But sometimes alone in some house let him take a rest from the things which belong to the house of the Lord; but not ceasing, or diminishing [one] hour, from prayers.
Let him fast three days each [week] all the year, [on the] one [hand] that he may be perfected in intelligence; and moreover [let him fast] according to his strength, not wandering about and going hither and thither with every spirit, but doing everything with energy.
If it be revealed to a Presbyter or Bishop to speak, let him speak; but if not, let him not neglect and despise his work.
If it be revealed to a Presbyter to visit his parishes, and speak the word, let him go; but if not, let him entreat God with supplication; and if it be revealed to him to speak to them, let him speak to them, always taking the burden and load of Him who was crucified for him, and praying for all the people.
Let not a Presbyter or Bishop be anxious about food or raiment. God taketh thought and careth for His own in the [things] which He knoweth. But if, when he receiveth from anyone food or clothing, it be said to him that he should receive also from another, let it suffice him to receive from [the first] alone, and that [only] in so far as is fitting, and as he needeth, and not to excess.
In respect of firmness of faith, let a Presbyter always be unchangeable; for it is such as these that God desireth; and let him prove the heart of each one; lest evil kept and buried within, make him a stranger to the grace of God.
Let him not allow tares to grow in the good wheat, but let him take them away from it, and cut off, those who bring [them] into it. Let not darkness cover his light. Let him teach all the faithful at all times that they accomplish their course, as it were, in the day; because the children of light walk not in darkness. Let the teaching of the Presbyter be fitting, and quiet and moderate, coupled with fear and trembling; and that of the Bishop also in like manner. And in teaching let them not speak vain things; but let him say such things as the hearers when they hear may keep [in memory]. Let the Presbyter be mindful of all the things that he teacheth. For in the day of the Lord the Word, it will be demanded [of him] that he should testify to the people the things which he spake, so that those who did not hear may be reproved. For he must stand before the glory of God, speaking those things which he hath taught. Thus, then, let him teach, that he perish not. Let him pray for those who hear, that the Lord may give them understanding of the Spirit, of knowledge, of truth; and let him not vainly cast pearls before swine; but let him search out [those] who are worthy, those who have heard and have performed; lest if the Word have not brought forth fruit in them, but have perished, he himself should prove the cause of its perishing. Let him not give the Holy things to dogs. Let him discern the signs of those who hear the word and bring forth good fruits. But in all things let him, without anxiety, keep [the matter] for the Bishop.
Let him not neglect nor despise those who do good works through teaching. But let him watch for signs in them; [and] of those [signs appearing] in them let him judge spiritually by [their] sighs, weeping, earnest conversations, silence, sadness, patience, humble bowing of the head. But that which best traineth and causeth suffering is weeping and groaning. But the work [these do] is watching, continence, fasting, quietness, unceasing prayer, meditation, faith, meekness, philanthropy, labour, weariness, love, subjection, goodness, gravity, and every [work of] light.
[On the other hand], the signs of those who do not bring forth the fruits of life are [these] — sloth, love of pleasure, eyes wandering in all directions, disobedience, complaining, restlessness, a laziness that will not move, wandering about.
But the work [these do] is gluttony, debauchery, anger, unbelief, idle and unseasonable laughter, confusion, neglect, error, disturbance, wantonness, love of gains, love of money, envy, contention, drunkenness, high-mindedness, vain talking, love of praise, and every [work of] darkness.
Let him recognise products such as these, and let him speak to those who are worthy. But let him not waste time upon those who do not receive [his teaching]. For those who sow on earth without fruits shall reap miseries.
Let the Presbyter, as is right and fitting, go about to the houses of those who are sick with the Deacon, and visit them; let him consider and say to them those things that are fitting and proper, especially to the faithful. Let him exhort that the sick who are Poor be helped by the Church, so that they also who do [deeds] of kindness may enter into the joy of their Lord. Let him confirm those who have newly become Catechumens with prophetical and evangelical utterances, with the word of teaching. Let him not neglect his prayers, for he is the figure of the Archangels: but let him know that God did not spare the Angels who sinned.
Let him fast; and if it is proper, let him receive of the cup. Let wine suffice him, as much as, in his judgment, profiteth and helpeth him, lest that drink which was for [his] healing he receive to [his] loss. In sickness, let him eat herbs and fish, and also that he may have care for his work. In everything let the Priest be an example to the faithful of the work of holiness.
Let the Presbyter praise and give thanks in the same way as the Bishop.
Chapter 32
Let them say the daily hymn of praise in the Church, each of them at his own time, thus:
Daily Hymn Of Praise
The Priest: he grace of our Lord [be] with you all.
The people: And with thy spirit.
The Priest: Praise ye the Lord.
The people: It is meet and right.
The Priest: Thee, Father of incorruptibility. Deliverer of our souls, Confirmer of the thoughts, and Guardian of our hearts, who hast illumined our hearts and hast brought to an end the darkness of our intelligence, by the knowledge which is in Thee; who hast by the Cross of Thy Only-begotten brought back anew to incorruptibility the old man which was given over to corruption; who hast brought error to an end, and by Thy commandments hast made man to pass to immortality; who didst seek that which was lost, we [Thy] servants [and] also [Thy] people praise.
The people: “We praise Thee, and the rest.
The Priest: We praise Thee, Lord, whom continually the unceasing doxologies of the Archangels singing praise, and the hymns of praise of Glories, and chants of Dominions praise. We praise Thee, Lord, who didst send Thy Thought, Thy Word, Thy Wisdom, Thy Energy, [namely] Him who [is] of old, and was with Thee before the worlds, the uncreated Word of the Uncreated one, but appeared, incarnate, in the end of times, for the salvation of created man, Thy Beloved Son Jesus Christ, who made us free from the yoke of slavery. Therefore we also, as we are accustomed, [we] Thy servants, Lord [and] also [thy] people, praise Thee.
The people: We praise Thee, and the rest.
The Priest: We sing to Thee a triple hymn of praise from our hearts, Lord who givest life, to Thee who dost visit the souls of the Poor, and neglectest not the spirits of those who are afflicted, the Assister of those who are persecuted, the Helper of those who are tossed on the sea, the Deliverer of those who are buffeted, the Provider for those who are hungry, who takest vengeance for those who are wronged, the Lover of the faithful, the Companion of the Saints, the Habitation of the pure, the Dwelling-place of those who call on Thee in truth, the Protector of Widows, the Liberator of Orphans, who givest to Thy Church a right government, and hast founded in it love-feasts, ministrations, receptions of the faithful, the partaking of the Spirit, gifts of grace and powers. We praise Thee; we cease not always in our hearts picturing the image of Thy Kingdom in ourselves, for Thy sake [and] also [for the sake] of Thy Beloved Son Jesus Christ, by whom [be] praise and might to Thee with the Holy Ghost, forever and ever. Amen.
And let the people say: Amen.
But if also anyone saith prophetical words, let him say [them]; he hath a reward.
But at midnight let the sons of Priestly service, and those of the people who are more perfect, give praise by themselves. For also in that hour our Lord, rising, praised His Father.
See, Children of the light; he who believeth the words of the Lord, walketh as He walked in this world, that where He is, there he may be also.
Of Deacons
Chapter 33
The Deacon is appointed, chosen like the things which have before been spoken of. If he be of good conduct, if he be pure, if he have been chosen for purity and for abstinence from distractions; if not, yet [if he] be the husband of one wife, borne witness to by all the faithful, not entangled in the businesses of the world, not knowing a handicraft, without riches, without children. But if he be married or have children, let his children be taught to work piety and to be pure, so that they may be approved by the Church, according to the rule of the ministry. But let the Church take care for them, so that they may persevere in the law and in the work of the ministry.
Chapter 34
But let him accomplish in the Church those things which are right. Let [his] ministry be thus. First, let him do only those things which are commanded by the Bishop as for proclamation; and let him be the counsellor of the whole clergy, and the mystery of the Church; who ministereth to the sick, who ministereth to the strangers, who helpeth the Widows, who is the father of the Orphans, who goeth about all the houses of those that are in need, lest any be in affliction or sickness or misery. Let him go about in the houses of the Catechumens, so that he may confirm those who are doubting and teach those who are unlearned.
Let him clothe those men who have departed, adorning [them]; burying the strangers; guiding those who pass from their dwelling, or go into captivity. For the help of those who are in need let him notify the Church; let him not trouble the Bishop; but only on the first day of the week let him make mention about everything, so that he may know.
Let him be watchful at the hour of the assembly, going about in the Church, and let him see that no one be [there who is] proud, or a buffoon, or a spy, or one who speaketh idle [words]. Let him rebuke [such], every one seeing and hearing, and let him thrust out him whom he hath condemned to receive punishment, so that the others also may fear. And if [the offender] persuade him to permit him to partake, let him give him comfort. But if the man persist in his transgression or disorderliness, let him take [word] about him up to the Bishop, and let him be separated seven days, and then called; so that he be not taken captive. But if when he cometh he still continue and persist in his folly, let him be cut off until he, repenting truly, come to himself, beseeching [to be received back].
If he be in a city on the seashore, let him go quickly about the places on the seashore, lest there be anyone dead in the sea; let him clothe him and bury him. Similarly also let him search out the guest house, lest there be anyone who is staying in the place sick or in need or dead; and let him make [it] known to the Church, so that it may provide what is right for each one. Let him cause the palsied and infirm to bathe as is right, so that they may have a breathing space from their pains. Let him give through the Church to each one what is right.
In the Church let twelve Presbyters, seven Deacons, fourteen Sub-Deacons, thirteen Widows who sit in front, be known.
But of the Deacons let him who is considered among them to be most earnest, and best in governing, be chosen to be the receiver of strangers. Let him alway be in the place of the guest house which is in the Church, clothed in white garments, a stole only on his shoulder.
Chapter 35
Let him be in everything as the eye of the Church, with fear admonishing, so that he may be an example to the people of piety Let him admonish thus:
Admonition Of The Deacon [at the Beginning of the Eucharist]
Let us arise.
Let everyone know his place.
Let the Catechumens depart.
See [that] no one polluted, no one slothful [remain]. [Lift] up the eyes of your hearts. The Angels are looking on. See [that] he who trusteth not, withdraw. Let us beseech in concord. Let no fornicator, no wrathful man [remain]; if one who is a servant of evil be [here], let him withdraw. See, as children of the light, let us beg [and] beseech our Lord and our God and our Saviour Jesus Christ.
When the Presbyter or Bishop beginneth the prayer, let the people pray and kneel.
Then let the Deacon say thus:
For the peace which is from Heaven let us beseech, that the Lord in His mercy may give us peace.
For our faith let us beseech, that the Lord may grant unto us to keep truly unto the end the faith which is in Him.
For harmony and concord let us beseech, that the Lord may keep us together in concord of the Spirit.
For patience let us beseech, that the Lord may bestow [upon us] patience unto the end in all afflictions.
For the Apostles let us beseech, that the Lord may grant to us to please Him, as they also pleased Him, and may make us worthy of their inheritance.
For the Holy Prophets let us beseech, that the Lord may number us with them.
For the Holy confessors let us beseech, that the Lord God may grant us to fulfil [our course] with the same mind [as they].
For the Bishop let us beseech, that our Lord may grant him to us for length of days in faith, rightly dividing the word of truth, and standing at the head of the Church purely and without blame.
For the Presbyterate let us beseech, that the Lord may not take away from them the spirit of the Presbyterate, but bestow on them earnestness and piety until the end.
For the Deacons let us beseech, that the Lord may grant unto them to run a perfect course, and to perfect holiness, and that He may remember their work and their love.
For the Presbyteresses let us beseech, that the Lord may hear their supplications and keep their hearts perfectly in the grace of the Spirit and help their work.
For the Sub-Deacons, Readers, Deaconesses let us beseech, that the Lord may grant to them to receive a reward in patience.
For the faithful laymen let us beseech, that the Lord may grant unto them to keep the faith perfectly.
For the Catechumens let us beseech, that the Lord may grant unto them to be counted worthy of the laver of forgiveness, and may sanctify them with the Seal of Holiness.
For the Kingdom let us beseech, that the Lord may bestow upon it tranquillity.
For the exalted powers let us beseech, that the Lord may grant to them prudence and the fear of Him.
For all the world let us beseech, that the Lord may provide for each one such things as are meet.
For those who travel by sea, and those who go on journeys let us beseech, that the Lord may guide them with the right hand of mercy.
For those who are persecuted let us beseech, that the Lord may grant to them patience and knowledge, and may bestow on them also a completed labour.
For those who have fallen asleep from the Church let us beseech, that the Lord may bestow upon them a place of rest.
For those who have fallen let us beseech, that the Lord may not remember their follies unto them, but moderate [His] threats unto them.
And let us all also, who need prayer, beseech that the Lord may protect and keep us with the peaceful Spirit. Let us persuade and beseech the Lord, that He may receive our prayers.
After the Deacon commemorateth, let the Bishop make a sign with his hand.
Let the Deacon say:
Let us arise in the Holy Ghost, that, being made wise, we may grow in His grace, boasting in His Name; being built on the foundation of the Apostles, let us beg [and] beseech the Lord that, being persuaded, He may receive our prayers.
Then let the Bishop complete [the prayer]. And let the people say: Amen.
[End of Deacon’s Words in Eucharist]
Chapter 36
Let the Deacon be such as this, so that he may appear with fear and modesty and reverence. With regard to fervour of spirit, let him have a perfect manner of life. Let him observe and look at those who come into the House of the Sanctuary. Let him investigate who they are, so that he may know if they are lambs or wolves. And when he asketh, let him bring in him that is worthy, lest, if a spy enter, the liberty of the Church be searched out, and his sin be on his head.
If anyone come late to the [service of] praise, either when that of the dawn is being said or when the Offering is being offered, whoever he be, let him remain outside, and let not the Deacon bring him in — for it is a type of the day of judgment which is to come — lest by the noise of the entrance there be distraction to those who are praying. But when he cometh and findeth that the door is shut, let him not knock, because of what hath been said already.
But after the hymn of praise which is placed first is finished, let the faithful man or faithful woman enter. Let the Deacon say, either over the offering or, For the hymn of praise:
Let us beseech that the Lord may write our supplication in the book of life, and [that] God who [is] forever may remember us in His Holy habitations of light. For [this] brother who is late, let us beseech that the Lord may give him earnestness and labour, and turn away from him every bond of this world, and give him the will of affection and love and hope.
Similarly also for a sister or for a Deaconess, for those who are late or remain outside, let him admonish that all the people may beseech for them. For thus when a Deacon mentioneth and admonisheth about them, earnestness is strengthened and the bond of love is fulfilled, and the despiser and the slothful is disciplined.
Chapter 37
If any woman whatsoever suffer violence from a man, let the Deacon accurately investigate if she be faithful and have truly suffered violence; if he who treated her with violence was not her lover. And if she be accurately thus, and if she that suffered mourn about the violence that happened to her, let him take it up to the hearing of the Bishop, that she may be shewn to be in all things in communion with the Church. If he who treated her with violence be faithful, let not the Deacon bring him into the Church for partaking, even if he repent. But if he be a Catechumen and repent, let him be baptized and partake.
Let the Deacon catechise those who repent and bring them to the Presbyters or to the Bishop that they may be catechised and taught knowledge. But if [his] power suffice to accomplish perfectly the office of the diaconate, let him abide only in prayer; and let him consider supplication and meditation, love, the way, mourning, and [to have] fear before his eyes, as a work; and he shall be called a son of the light.
Chapter 38
Let the appointment of a Deacon be thus:
Let the Bishop alone lay a hand on him, because he is not appointed to the Priesthood, but for the service of attendance on the Bishop and the Church. Over the Deacon then, let the Bishop say thus:
Prayer Of Ordination Of A Deacon
God, who didst create all things, and didst adorn [them] by the Word; who dost rest in the pure ages; who didst minister to us eternal life by Thy Prophets; who didst enlighten us with the light of knowledge; God, who doest great things, and [art] the Maker of all glory , Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, whom Thou didst send to minister to Thy will, that all the race of mankind might be saved, and didst make known to us and didst reveal Thy Thought, Thy Wisdom, Thine Energy, Thy Beloved Son, Jesus Christ, the Lord of light, the Prince of Princes, and God of Gods; give the spirit of grace and earnestness to this Thy servant, that there may be given to him earnestness, quiet, strength, power to please Thee; give him, Lord, as a worker in the law without shame, kind, a lover of Orphans, a lover of the pious, a lover of Widows, fervent in spirit, a lover of good things; and enlighten, Lord, him whom Thou hast loved and chosen to minister to Thy Church, offering in holiness to Thy Holy place those things which are offered to Thee from the inheritance of Thy High Priesthood; so that ministering without blame and purely and holily and with a pure conscience, he may be counted worthy of this high and exalted office, by Thy good will, praising Thee continually through Thy Only-begotten Son Jesus Christ, our Lord, by whom [be] praise and might to Thee forever and ever.
The people: Amen.
Chapter 39
If [one] be borne witness to and confess that he was in bonds and in imprisonment and in afflictions for the Name of God, a hand is not therefore laid on him for the diaconate. Similarly not for the Presbyterate. For he hath the honour of the clergy, having been protected by the hand of God, by [his] confessorship. But if he be appointed Bishop, he is also counted worthy of laying on of the hand. And [even] if he be a Confessor who hath not been judged before the power, and hath not been buffeted in bonds, but only hath confessed, he is counted worthy of laying on of the hand. For he receiveth the prayer of the clergy. But let him not pray over him repeating all these words; but when the shepherd advanceth, he will receive the effect.
Of the Widows
Chapter 40
Let a Widow be appointed being chosen, if for a long time past she have abided without a husband; if though often pressed by men to be married, because of the faith she have not been married. But if not, it is not yet right that she should be chosen; but let her be proved for a time, if she be pious, if having children she have brought them up in holiness, if she have not taught them worldly wisdom, if she have made them examples of the Holy law and of the Church, if she have loved and honoured strangers, if she have been constant in prayers, if she have lived meekly, if she have cheerfully aided those who are afflicted, if it have been revealed to the Saints about her, if she have not neglected the Saints, if she have ministered with all her power, if she be fit to bear and endure the burden, being one who prayeth without ceasing, being perfect in all things, being fervent in spirit, having the eyes of her heart opened in everything, being always kind, loving innocency, not possessing anything in this world, but always taking and bearing about the Cross, crucifying all evil, by night and by day abiding by the Altar, working cheerfully and secretly. If she have one or two or three likeminded in my Name, I am among them. But let her be perfect in the Lord, as one who is visited by the Spirit.
Let her do the things which are made known to her with fear and earnestness. Let her instruct those women who do not obey; let her teach those [women] who have not learnt; let her convert those who are foolish; let her instruct them to be grave; let her prove the Deaconesses; let her make those who enter to know of what sort and who they are; also let her instruct them that they abide. To those who hear let her patiently counsel those things which are proper. To those who are disobedient after three instructions let her not speak. Let her love those who desire to be in Virginity or in purity; those who oppose themselves let her correct modestly and quietly. With everyone let her be peaceful. Let her privately shut the mouth of those who talk much and idly; but if they do not hear, let her take with her an aged woman, or let her take [it] up to the hearing of the Bishop. But in the Church let her be silent. In prayer let her be persistent. Let her visit those [women] who are sick; on each first day of the week let her take with her one Deacon or two and help them. If she have any possession let her give it for the Poor and the faithful. But if she have nothing, let her be helped by the Church. Let her do no secular work, as it were for a trial. But let her have these works of the Spirit; let her continue in prayers and fasts; let her ask for nothing deep; let her receive those things which the Lord giveth; let her not be anxious for [her] children; let her deliver them to the Church, so that they living in the house of God may be fit for the service of the Priesthood.
Her requests to God will be acceptable; they are the sacrifice and Altar of God. For those who have ministered well shall be praised by the Archangels. But as for them who are dissolute and raging and drunken, and babblers and curious and evil, that is, those who love pleasures much, the figures of their souls, which stand before the Father of light, perish and are carried to darkness to dwell. For their deeds which are visible, going up before the most High, drag them easily to the pit, so that after this world is changed and passeth away the figures of their souls may stand against them as witnesses, not allowing them to look up. For the figure and type of every soul standeth before God from the foundation of the world.
Therefore let her be chosen who can go to meet the Holy Phials.
Of them are the twelve Presbyters who praise My Father who is in Heaven. These who receive the prayers of every holy soul, offer [them] to the most High [as] a sweet savour.
Chapter 41
Let the appointment be thus. As she prayeth at the entrance of the Altar, and looketh down, let the Bishop say quietly, so that the Priests may hear, thus:
Prayer Of The Institution Of Widows Who Sit In Front
God, the Holy One, the Most High, who seest the [things] that are humble, who hast chosen the weak and the mighty; the Honoured One who hast created also those [things] which are despised; give, Lord, the spirit of power to this Thine handmaid, and strengthen her with Thy truth, so that doing Thy commandment and serving in the House of Thy Sanctuary, she may be an honoured vessel unto Thee, and may glorify [Thee] in the day when Thou wilt glorify Thy Poor, Lord. And grant to her power cheerfully to accomplish Thy teachings which Thou hast determined for a rule for Thine handmaid. Grant to her, Lord, the spirit of meekness and of power and of patience and of kindness, so that, bearing with ineffable joy Thy burden, she may endure labour. Yea, Lord God, who knowest our weakness, perfect Thine handmaid for the praise of Thine house; strengthen her for edification and a good example, sanctify [her], make [her] wise; comfort [her] God; for blessed and glorious is Thy Kingdom, God the Father. And to Thee [be] praise, and to Thine Only-begotten Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the Holy Ghost [who is] good and adorable and the Maker of life, and of equal essence with Thee, now and before all the worlds and for the ages and forever and ever.
The people: Amen.
Chapter 42
After she is [appointed] thus, let her not be anxious about anything, but let her remain solitary and having leisure for supplications of piety. For the foundation of holiness and life for a Widow such as this is solitude. For she hath loved none other but the God of Gods, the Father which is in Heaven. But at fixed times let her give praise by herself, in the night [and] at dawn. If she be menstruous let her abide in the Temple and not approach the Altar, not that she is as it were polluted, but that the Altar may have honour. Afterwards, when she fasteth and batheth, let her be assiduous [at the Altar]. In the days of Pentecost, let her not fast. In the feast of Pascha, let her give of those things which she hath to the Poor, and let her bathe, and so let her pray. But when she giveth thanks or praise, if she have friends like-minded, Virgins, it is well that they pray with her for the sake of the Amen. But if not, [let her pray] alone by herself, both in the Church and in the house, especially at midnight.
The times in which she should give praise are: Saturday, the first day of the week, either Pascha or Epiphany or Pentecost. At other time[s] let her give thanks meekly with Psalms, with hymns of praise, with meditations; and thus let her labour. For the Most High will sanctify them and will forgive all [their] sins, those which were before written against them, and their error; My Father, the Heavenly One, shall strengthen them and enlighten their faces as the faces of My Sanctuaries; they shall shine in My glory in the day of recompense.
Chapter 43
Let her hymns of praise be said thus quietly:
Night Hymn Of Praise Of Widows
Holy, Holy, without spot, who hast Thy dwelling in the light, God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, God of Enoch and David, of Elijah, of Elisha, of Moses, of Joshua, and of the Prophets and of the others who in truth preached Thy Name, God of the Apostles, the God who hast guided all things by Thy reason and hast blest them who lovingly trust in Thee; my soul praiseth Thee with the power of the spirit of my power, my heart praiseth Thee, O Lord, and Thy might, always. Let all my power praise Thee, Lord, for if Thou wilt, I am Thine, God, the God of the Poor; for Thou art the Helper of them that lack, and Thou art He that looketh on the meek, and the Assister of the weak; assist me, O Lord, because by Thy grace Thou wast well pleased in me that I should be Thine handmaid, for Thou hast bestowed upon me a great name, that I should be called a Christian. Thou who hast freed me from servitude that I may serve a servitude to God, the Mighty One who [art] forever, who seest all, that I may praise Thee uncondemned. Yea, Lord God, confirm my heart in Thee until it is perfected in the Holy Ghost. Rejuvenate us for the edification of Thy Holy Church, Son and Word and Thought of the Father, the Christ who camest for the salvation of the race of man, who didst suffer and wast buried, and didst rise, [and] also wast glorified by Him who sent Thee, turn, help, Lord, set upright our thoughts by the strong faith of the Spirit. Glorify Thy Name in us. For in Thy Father and in Thee and in the Holy Ghost is our hope forever and ever.
With those who are with her let her say: Amen.
But let her say the hymn of praise at dawn thus:
Hymns Of Praise At Dawn Of Widows Who Sit In Front
Eternal God, Guide of our souls. Maker of light, Treasure of life, who restest in the praises and prayers of the Holy ones; Lover of compassion, merciful, kind. King of all, and God, our Lord, my spirit praiseth [Thee], sending [up] to Thee the unceasing voices of Thine handmaid, Lord, who beseecheth Thee that Thou mayest perfect in Thine handmaid the spirit of reason and of piety and of right knowledge. I praise Thee, Lord, who didst take away from our poverty all disturbance and confusion (?), wrath and all contention and evil habit, who didst prepare [and] change the feelings of my understanding that I might serve Thee only, God; who hast adorned Thy Holy Church with various ministries, who drivest away from Thine handmaid all doubtfulness, fear, weakness; and boldest the thoughts of those who rightly serve Thee; I praise Thee, God, who hast enlightened me with the light of Thy knowledge, through Thine Only-begotten Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom [be] praise and might to Thee forever and ever. Amen.
And with those who are with her let her say: Amen.
Of Sub-Deacons
Chapter 44
Similarly let a Sub-Deacon be appointed who is chaste, the Bishop praying over him. Let the Bishop say over him on the first day of the week, in the hearing of all the people, thus:
Thou, N., Minister and hear the Gospel in the fear of God. Cultivate holily the knowledge of thy soul; keep pureness; discipline thyself; observe and obey and hear meekly; neglect not prayers and fasts, so that the Lord may give thee rest and make thee worthy of a higher degree.
And let all the Priests say: So be it, so be it, so be it.
Of The Reader
Chapter 45
A Reader is instituted [who is] pure, quiet, meek, wise, with much experience, learned and of much learning, with a good memory, vigilant, so that he may deserve a higher degree. First let the book be given him in the sight of the people, on the first day of the week. But a hand is not laid on him. But he heareth from the Bishop [the following]:
Thou, N., whom Christ hath called to be a minister of His words, be careful, and strive that thou mayest appear approved both in this rule and in a higher degree, even by our Lord Jesus Christ; so that He in His everlasting habitations may pay thee a good reward for these things.
And let the Priests say: So be it, so be it, so be it.
Of Male And Female Virgins
Chapter 46
A male or female Virgin is not instituted or appointed by man, but is voluntarily separated and named [a Virgin].But a hand is not laid on him, as for Virginity. For this division is of [their] own free will. But it is right for Virgins that they be fixed and bound in the suffering of a sound body, that they be constant in fasts and in prayers, in weeping and in mourning daily; but that they always expect a departure from the flesh, and strive as at the departure. Let them not serve raging or debauchery or drunkenness or vain talking, or [be engaged] in worldly work or in distraction, but they are as one who is on the Cross; let their hearts be [lifted] up, with all meekness of thought and comeliness, with meditation on the Holy Scriptures, with faithful thoughts, with kind consolations, so that when they pray they may be answered concerning those things which they ask for the faithful who wish to provide for them. Let them not despise [these things (?)], so that through them also a portion of life may be divided to those. Let them be confirmed in love and kindness and in true and perfect grace. Let them be constant in consolation, consoling their neighbours, catechising and teaching those who have lately been made faithful, in understanding and in knowledge and in kindness, inciting those who are very young, being examples of holiness among them in all good things. Similarly also let the females do. But in order and in grace and in knowledge let them speak and work, that they may truly be the salt of the earth as it is called. But let females who are Virgins have their heads covered in the Church, and let them hide only their hair; but let them be counted worthy of honour from everyone, in order that the rest [of the women] who desire, may emulate them.
Of A Gift
Chapter 47
If anyone appear in the people to have a gift of healing or of knowledge or of tongues, a hand is not laid on him, for the work is manifest. But let them have honour.
The First Book of Clement is ended
The Second Book Of Clement
Of Laymen Thus:
Chapter 1
Let those who first come to hear the Word, before they enter among all the people, first come to teachers at home, and let them be examined as to all the cause [of their coming] with all accuracy, so that their teachers may know for what they have come, or with what will. And if they have come with a good will and love, let them be diligently taught. But let those who bring them be such as are well on in years, faithful who are known by the Church; and let them bear witness about them, if they are able to hear [the word]. Also let their life and conversation be asked about: if they be not contentious, if quiet, if meek, not speaking vain things or despisers or foul speakers, or buffoons or leaders astray, or ridicule mongers.
Also if any of them have a wife or not; and if of his own free will he have not [a wife], let him be instructed carefully and diligently and persuaded with all kindness to amend his failings. And let the Bishop provide for him in the Lord with prophetical instructions which lead him to purity; and if he maketh progress, also with Apostolic doctrines and then with Gospel [doctrines] and with the perfect word of doctrine; and if he be worthy, let him be baptized. And if thus he be worthy of the hidden things, let him hear [them] by himself, and also make progress in that which is hidden.
Let there be no obstacle at all to him who desireth to marry, so that he be not caught by the Evil One with fornication. But let him marry a Christian, a faithful [woman] of the race of the Christians, who is able to keep her husband in the faith; at the bidding of the Bishop, he thus providing for him.
And also let him who cometh be asked if he be a slave or free; and if the slave of one who is faithful, and if also his master permit him, let him hear. But if his master be not faithful and do not permit him, let him be persuaded to permit him. And if [his master] say truly about him that he wisheth to become a Christian because he hateth his masters, let him be cast out. But if no cause be shewn of hatred of servitude, but [if] he [really] wish to be a Christian, let him hear. But if his master be faithful and do not bear witness to him, let him be cast out. Similarly if [a woman] be the wife of a man, let the woman be taught to please her husband in the fear of God. But if both of them desire to serve purity in piety, they have a reward. Let him who is unmarried not commit fornication, but let him marry in the law. But if he desire to persevere thus, let him abide in the Lord.
If anyone be tormented with a devil, let him not hear the Word from a teacher until he be cleansed. For the intelligence, when consumed with a material spirit, doth not receive the immaterial and Holy Word. But if he be cleansed, let him be instructed in the Word.
Chapter 2
If a fornicatress, or brothel keeper, or a drunkard, or a maker of idols, or a painter, or one engaged in shows, or a charioteer, or a wrestler, or one who goeth to the contest or a combatant [in the games], or one who teacheth wrestling, or a public huntsman, or a Priest of idols, or a keeper of them, be [among those that come], let him not be received.
If any such desire to become faithful, let him cease from these [things]; and being in deed faithful, and being baptized, let him be received and let him partake. And if he do not cease, let him be rejected.
If anyone be a teacher of boys in worldly wisdom, it is well if he cease. But if he have no other craft by which to live, let him be excused. If anyone be a soldier or in authority, let him be taught not to oppress or to kill or to rob, or to be angry or to rage and afflict anyone. But let those rations suffice him which are given to him. But if they wish to be baptized in the Lord, let them cease from military service or from the [post of] authority, and if not let them not be received.
Let a Catechumen or a believer of the people, if he desire to be a soldier, either cease from his intention, or if not let him be rejected. For he hath despised God by his thought, and leaving the things of the Spirit, he hath perfected himself in the flesh, and hath treated the faith with contempt.
If a fornicatress or a dissolute man or a drunkard do not [these things], and desire, believing, to become Catechumens, they may [be admitted]. And if they make progress, let them be baptized; but if not let them be rejected.
If a concubine of a man be a servant, and desire to be faithful, if she educate those who are born [of her] and she separate from her master, or be joined to him alone in marriage, let her hear; and being baptized let her partake in the Offering, but if not let her be rejected.
He who doeth things which may not be spoken of, or a diviner or a magician or a necromancer , these are defiled and do not come to judgment. Let a charmer, or an astrologer, or an interpreter of dreams, or a sorcerer, or one who gathereth together the people, or a star-gazer, or a diviner by idols, either cease, and when he ceaseth let him be exorcised and baptized; or if not let him be rejected.
If a man have a concubine, let him divorce her and marry in the law and hear the word of instruction.
[Of Catechumens and Baptism]
Let him who is instructed with all care and heareth the perfectness of the Gospel, be instructed not less than three years, and if he, loving, strive to be baptized, let him [then] be baptized.
But if he be quiet and meek and earnest, and persevering and abiding with him who teacheth him, with labour, with watching, with confession, with subjection, and with prayers, and [if] he desire to be baptized sooner, let him be baptized. For it is not the time that is considered, but the will of faith.
Chapter 4
Let those who are instructed, after the teacher ceaseth, pray apart from the faithful and go out, so that the faithful may learn, when the Presbyter or Deacon readeth the New [Testament] or Gospels.
Let the faithful women stand in the Church by themselves and the female Catechumens by themselves apart from the faithful [women]. But all the [women] apart from the men; the girls also apart, each according to her order.
The men on the right and the women on the left; the faithful Virgins first, and the [women] who are being instructed to Virginity behind them.
After the prayer let the female Catechumens give the Peace to one another; also men to men; also women to women.
Let every woman cover her head with her hair also. Let the women becomingly and decorously show their modesty in their adornment, and let them not be adorned with plaited hair or with [precious] stones, lest the young men who are in the Church be caught, but with modesty and knowledge. But if not, let them be instructed by the Widows who sit in front.
But if they rebelliously resist, let the Bishop reprove them.
Chapter 5
After the Catechumens pray, let the Bishop or Presbyter, laying on them a hand, say the prayer of the laying on of the hand of Catechumens:
Prayer Of Catechumens
God, who dost send thunderings and preparest lightnings; who hast founded the Heaven and established the earth, and enlightenest the faithful and convertest them that err; who hast quickened those who were dead and hast given hope to those who [were] without hope, and hast freed the universe from error by the coming down of Thy Only-begotten Son Jesus Christ; hear us, Lord, and give to these souls intelligence, perfectness, undoubting faith, knowledge of the truth, that they may be in a degree higher than this, through the Holy Name of Thee and of Thy Beloved Son Jesus, our Lord, through whom [be] praise and might to Thee with the Holy Ghost, both now and always and forever and ever. Amen.
After this let them be dismissed.
If anyone, being a Catechumen, be apprehended for My Name and be judged with tortures, and hasten and press forward to receive the laver, let not the shepherd hesitate, but let him give [it] to him. But if he suffer violence and be killed, not having received the laver, let him not be anxious. For, having been baptized in his own blood, [he is] justified.
Chapter 6
But if they are severally chosen to receive the laver, let them be proved and investigated first, how they have lived while Catechumens; if they have honoured Widows, if they have visited the sick, if they have walked in all meekness and love, if they were earnest in good works. But let them be borne witness to by those who bring them.
And when they hear the Gospel, let a hand be laid on them daily.
Let them be exorcised from that day when they are chosen. And let them be baptized in the days of Pascha. And when the days approach, let the Bishop exorcise each one of them separately by himself, so that he may be persuaded that he is pure. For if there be one that is not pure, or in whom is an unclean spirit, let him be reproved by that unclean spirit.
If then anyone is found under any such imagination, let him be removed from the midst [of them], and let him be reproved and reproached that he hath not heard the word of the commandments and of instruction faithfully, because the evil and strange spirit abided in him.
Let those who are about to receive the laver be taught on the fifth day of the last week only, to wash and bathe their heads. But if any woman then be in the customary flux, let her also take in addition another day, washing and bathing beforehand.
Let them fast both [on] the Friday and [on] the Saturday.
Chapter 7
On the Saturday let the Bishop assemble them who receive the laver, and let him bid them to kneel while the Deacon proclaimeth. And when there is silence let him exorcise [them], laying a hand on them, and saying:
Exorcism Before The Laver
God of Heaven, God of the lights, God of the Archangels who are under Thy power, God of the Angels who are under Thy might, King of Glories and of Dominions, God of Saints, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ; who hast loosed the souls that were bound by death; who hast enlightened him that was bound in darkness and fixed firm, by the firm-fixing of the suffering of Thy Only-begotten; who hast loosed our cords and hast loosed every weight from [off] us; who hast repelled from us every attack of the Evil One; Son and Word of God, who hast made us immortal by Thy death; who hast glorified us with Thy glory; who hast loosed all the bands of our sins by Thy passion; who hast borne the curse of our sins by Thy Cross, and by Thy resurrection hast taught [mankind] to pass from [being] sons of men to become Gods; who hast taken on Thee our humiliation; who hast trodden the way to Heaven for us; who hast changed us from corruption to incorruptibility; hear me, Lord, who cry to Thee in pain and fear, Lord God, and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, before Him before whom stand the Holy Hosts of Archangels and of Cherubim and Armies without number, of Princes and of Seraphim; whose Veil [is] the light, and before whose face [is] fire; the throne of whose glory is ineffable; the habitations of whose delights, which Thou hast prepared for Thy Saints, are ineffable, the Raiments and Treasures of which are visible to Thee alone and to Thy Holy Angels; before whom all things tremble, giving praise; whose glance measureth the mountains, and whose Name, when uttered, cleaveth the depths; whom the Heavens which are shut up by Thy hand, hide from view; before whom the earth and the depths together tremble; before whom the sea and the dragons that [are] in it quake; of whom the wild beasts, trembling, stand in awe; through whom the mountains and the firmament of the earth melt with fear: at whose power the tempest of the winter quaketh and trembleth, and the raging whirlwind keepeth its limits; because of whom the fire of vengeance doth not overpass that which hath been prescribed to it, but abideth when reproved by Thy commandment; because of whom the whole creation travaileth, groaning with groans, being bidden to tarry till its time; from whom all nature and creation that opposeth itself fleeth; because of whom the whole army of the adversary is subdued, and the Devil is fallen, and the serpent is trodden down, and .the dragon is killed; because of whom the nations which have confessed Thee are enlightened and strengthened in Thee, Lord; because of whom life is revealed and hope confirmed, and faith strengthened and the Gospel preached; because of whom corruption is brought to naught and incorruptibility waxeth strong; through whom man was fashioned from the earth, but having believed in Thee he is no longer earth; Lord God Almighty, I exorcise these in the Name of Thee and of Thy Beloved Son Jesus Christ.
Drive away from the souls of these Thy servants every disease and illness, and every stumbling block and all unbelief, all doubt and all contempt, every unclean spirit that worketh, that is a witch, that killeth, that is under the earth, that is fiery, dark, evil-smelling, given to witchcraft, lascivious, loving gold, uplifted, money-loving, wrathful.
Yea, Lord God, overthrow from these Thy servants who have been named in Thee the weapons of the Devil, all magic, witchcraft, fear of idols, divination, astrology , necromancy, observation of the stars, astronomy, pleasure of the passions, love of disgraceful things, sadness, love of money, drunkenness, fornication, adultery, lasciviousness, contumacy, contentiousness, wrath, confusion, wickedness, evil suspicion.
Yea, Lord God, hear me, and breathe on these Thy servants the spirit of tranquillity, that, being guarded by Thee, they may bring forth in Thee fruits of faith, of virtue, of wisdom, of purity, of self-discipline, of patience, of hope, of concord, of modesty, of praise. For by Thee they have been called as servants, in the Name of Jesus Christ, being baptized in the Trinity, in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost, the Angels, Glories, Dominions, all the Heavenly Army being witnesses. Lord, the real essence of our life and theirs, guard their hearts, God, for Thou art mighty and glorious forever and ever.
And let all the people, also the Priests, say: Amen, So be it, so be it, so be it.
If anyone be in the endurance of anything, rise suddenly while the Bishop is saying [these words], and weep or cry out, or foam [at the mouth] or gnash with his teeth, or stare or be much uplifted or altogether run away, being quickly carried off, let such an one be put aside by the Deacons, so that there be no disturbance while the Bishop is speaking, and let such an one be exorcised by the Priests until he be cleansed, and so let him be baptized.
After the Priest exorciseth those who have drawn near, or him who is found unclean, let the Priest breathe on them and seal them between their eyes, on the nose, on the heart, on the ears; and so let him raise them up.
Chapter 8
In the forty days of Pascha, let the people abide in the Temple, keeping vigil and praying, hearing the Scriptures and hymns of praise and the books of doctrine.
But on the last Saturday let them rise early in the night, and when the Catechumens are being exorcised till the Saturday midnight. Let those who are about to be baptized not bring anything else with them except one loaf for the Eucharist.
But let them be baptized thus. When they come to the water, let the water be pure and flowing. First the babes, then the men, then the women.
But if anyone desire to approach as it were to Virginity, let him first be baptized by the hand of the Bishop.
Let the women, when they are baptized, loose their hair. Let all the boys who can answer in baptism make the responses and answer after the Priest. But if they cannot, let their parents make the responses for them, or someone of their households.
But when they who are being baptized go down [to the water], after they make the responses and say [the answers], let the Bishop see if there be any of them — either a man having a ring of gold, or a woman having on her gold; for no one should have with him any strange thing in the water, but let him deliver it to those who are near him.
But when they are about to receive the oil for anointing, let the Bishop pray over it and give thanks, and let him exorcise another [oil] with an exorcism, the same as in the case of Catechumens. And let the Deacon hear that which is exorcised, and let the Presbyter stand by him. Let him then who standeth by that [oil] on which a giving of thanks over the oil [is said] be on the right hand; but him who standeth by that which is exorcised, on the left.
And when he taketh hold of each one, let him ask — he that is being baptized turning to the West — and let him say: Say,
I renounce thee, Satan, and all thy service, and thy shows, and thy pleasures, and all thy works.
And when he hath said these things and confessed, let him be anointed with that oil which was exorcised, he who anointeth him saying thus:
I anoint [thee] with this oil of exorcism for a deliverance from every evil and unclean spirit, and for a deliverance from every evil.
And also, turning him to the East, let him say: [Say,]
I submit to Thee, Father and Son and Holy Ghost, before whom all nature trembleth and is moved. Grant me to do all Thy will without blame.
Then after these things let him give him over to the Presbyter who baptizeth. And let them stand in the water naked.
But let the Deacon descend with him similarly. But when he who is being baptized goeth down into the water, let him that baptizeth him say, putting his hand on him, thus:
Dost thou believe in God the Father Almighty?
Let him that is being baptized say: I believe.
Let him immediately baptize him once.
Let the Priest also say:
Dost thou believe also in Christ Jesus the Son of God, who came from the Father, who is of old with the Father, who was born of Mary the Virgin by the Holy Ghost, who was crucified in the days of Pontius Pilate, and died and rose the third day, [who] came to life from the dead, and ascended into Heaven and sat down on the right hand of the Father, and cometh to judge the quick and the dead?
But when he saith: I believe, let him baptize him the second time.
And also let him say:
Dost thou believe also in the Holy Ghost, in the Holy Church?
And let him who is being baptized say: I believe;
And thus let him baptize him the third time.
Then when he cometh up let him be anointed by the Presbyter with oil over which the giving of thanks has been said, [the Presbyter] saying over him: I anoint thee with oil in the Name of Jesus Christ. But let women be anointed by Widows who sit in front, the Presbyter saying over them [the words]. And let those Widows in baptism also beneath a Veil receive them by a Veil, the Bishop saying those Confessions, and so those whom they cause them to renounce.
Chapter 9
Then let them be together in the Church, and let the Bishop lay a hand on them after baptism, saying and invoking over them thus:
Invocation Of The Holy Ghost
Lord God, who by Thy Beloved Son Jesus Christ didst fill Thy Holy Apostles with the Holy Ghost, and by the Spirit didst permit Thy blessed Prophets to speak; who didst count these Thy servants worthy to be counted worthy in Thy Christ of forgiveness of sins through the laver of the second birth, and hast cleansed them of all the mist of error and darkness of unbelief; make them worthy to be filled with Thy Holy Spirit, by Thy love of man, bestowing upon them Thy grace, so that they may serve Thee according to Thy will, truly, God, and may do Thy commandments in holiness, and cultivating always those things which are of Thy will, may enter into Thine eternal Tabernacles, through Thee and through Thy Beloved Son Jesus Christ, by whom [be] to Thee praise and might with the Holy Ghost forever and ever.
Similarly, pouring the oil, placing a hand on his head, let him say:
Anointing I anoint [thee] in God Almighty, and in Jesus Christ and in the Holy Ghost, that thou mayest be His soldier, having a perfect faith, and a vessel pleasing to Him.
And sealing him on his forehead, let him give him the Peace, and say:
The Lord God of the meek be with thee. And let him who has been sealed answer and say: And with thy spirit.
And so each one severally.
[On the First Eucharist After Baptism]
Chapter 10
Thenceforward let them pray together with all the people.
Let the oblation be offered by the Deacon. And so let the shepherd give thanks. But the bread is offered for a type of My body. Let the cup be mixed with wine, — mixed with wine and water, for it is a sign of blood and of the laver; so that also the inner man, that is to say, that which is of the soul, may be counted worthy of those things which are like [them], that is to say, those things of the body also. And let all the people, according to what hath been said before, receive with Amen of the Eucharist which is offered.
Let the Deacons hover over [them], as hath before been said.
Let him who giveth [the sacrament] say:
The Body of Jesus Christ, the Holy Ghost, for the healing of soul and body.
And let him who receiveth say: Amen.
He who spilleth of the cup gathereth up judgment to himself. Similarly also he who seeth and is silent and doth not reprove him, whoever he may be. Let those who take the Offering be exhorted by the Priests to be careful to do good works, to love strangers, to abound in fasting, and in every good work to engage in servitude. And let them be taught also about the resurrection of the body; before anyone receiveth baptism let no one know the word about the resurrection, for this is the new decree, which hath a new name that none knoweth but he who receiveth [it].
Note: Rev. 2:17; Entire Verse in KJV: He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the Churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth [it].
The Deacon doth not give the Offering to a Presbyter. Let him open the dish or paten, and let the Presbyter receive.
Let the Deacon give [the Eucharist] to the people in their hands. Let the Deacon, when the Presbyter is not present, of necessity baptize.
[Worship, Firstfruits and Offerings]
Chapter 11
If anyone receive any service to carry to a Widow or Poor woman or anyone constantly engaged in a Church work, let him give it the same day; and if not, on the morrow, let him add something to it from his own [property] and so give it. For the bread of the Poor hath been kept back in his possession. But in the last week of Pascha, on the fifth day of the week, let the bread and the cup be offered. And he who suffered for that which he hath offered, he [it is] who draweth near.
Let the lamp be offered in the Temple by the Deacon, saying: The grace of our Lord [be] with you all.
And let all the people say: And with Thy spirit.
And let the little boys say spiritual Psalms and hymns of praise by the light of the lamp. Let all the people respond Hallelujah to the psalm and to the chant sung together, with one accord, with voices in harmony; and let no one kneel until he who speaketh cease. Similarly also when a lection is read or the word of doctrine is spoken. If then the Name of the Lord be spoken, and the rest, as hath sufficiently been made known, let no one bow, having come creeping in.
Chapter 12
Let the end of Pascha be after the Saturday, at midnight.
[At] Pentecost let no one fast or kneel. For these are days of rest and joy.
Let those who bear the burdens of labour refresh themselves a little in the days of Pentecost, and on every first day of the week.
Let the Bishop, before he offereth the Offering, say what is fitting for the Offering, while those who are clothed in white receive from one another and say [to one another] Hallelujah.
Chapter 13
In the supper or feast, let those who have come together receive [a portion] thus from the shepherd, as for a blessing. But let not a Catechumen receive.
If anyone be of the household of, or related to, one who is a teacher of heathenism, let him not accord with him and give praise with him, also let him not eat with him because of relationship or for concord, lest he deliver ineffable things to a wolf and he receive judgment.
Let those who are called with the Bishop to the house of one who is faithful, eat with gravity and knowledge, not with drunkenness or to debauchery, and not so that he who is present may laugh, or so as to annoy the household of him that called him; but so let them enter that he who called [them] may pray that the Saints may enter into his house. For ye are the salt of the earth, [as] ye have heard.
Because when they eat, let them eat abundantly, [but] so that there may be left over both for you [and] also for those to whom he that called you wisheth [to] send, so that he may have them as foods left over by the Saints, and that he may rejoice at that which remaineth over.
Let those who come to a feast, being called, not stretch out a hand before them that are elder. But let the last eat when the first shall have done.
Let not those who eat strive in speech, but let them eat in silence; but if anyone desire, or the Bishop or Presbyter ask [a question], let him return answer.
But when the Bishop saith a word, let everyone quietly, praising [him], choose silence for himself, until he also be asked [a question].
Chapter 14
If anyone bring forward fruits or the first produce of crops as first fruits, let him offer [them] to the Bishop.
Chapter 15
If anyone depart from the world, either a faithful man or a faithful woman, having children, let them give their possessions to the Church, so that the Church may provide for their children, and [that] from the things which they have the Poor may be given rest, that God may give mercy to their children and rest to those who have left [them] behind. But if a man have no children, let him have not much possessions, but let him give much of his possessions to the Poor and to the prisoners, and only keep what is right and sufficient for him[self]. If a man have children, and he desire to discipline himself in Virginity, let him give all his possessions to the Poor, and discipline himself and abide in the Church, being constant in prayers and thanksgivings.
Chapter 16
The fruits which are offered to the Bishop let him bless thus:
God, we give thanks to Thee always, and also in this day when we offer to Thee the first fruits of the fruits which Thou hast given us for food, having ripened them by Thy power and by Thy Word, having commanded from the beginning of the creation of the worlds that the earth should bring forth different fruits for the joy and delight of man and of all beasts. We praise Thee, Lord, for all these things with which Thou hast benefited us, adorning for us all the earth with various fruits. Bless also this Thy servant N., and receive his earnestness and his love, through Thine Only-begotten Son Jesus Christ, through whom [be] praise and honour and might to Thee with the Holy Ghost forever and ever. Amen.
Vegetables are not blessed, but fruits of trees, flowers, and the rose and the lily.
Chapter 17
Of All The Faithful Who Receive And Eat
Let them give and return thanks and not eat with offence or scandal. Let no one taste that which is strangled or sacrificed to idols.
Chapter 18
On the days of Pascha, especially in the last days, on Friday and on Saturday, by night and by day, let the prayers be according to the number of the hymns of praise. But let the word be interpreted at length, and let the lections [be] various and continuous. And let the vigils and anticipations of the night be in good order.
Chapter 19
Let the Readers assist them; and Similarly also the Sub-Deacons. Let them not allow them to sleep. For that night is a figure of the Kingdom, and especially that of the Saturday.
Those who labour and work, let them work till midnight.
Let the Catechumens first be dismissed, having received blessings from the bread which is broken. When the faithful are dismissed, let them go in order and knowledge to their houses. In their feasts let them not forget the prayers.
Let the Priests not abbreviate their ministrations.
Let the women go, each one cleaving to her husband.
Let the Widows stay till dawn in the Temple, having food there.
Let the Virgins abide together in the Temple, and let the Bishop help and provide for them, and let the Deacons minister to them.
Let the Presbyteresses stay with the Bishop till dawn, praying and resting.
Similarly also those who were lately baptized.
Let Virgins who are ready for marriage go, cleaving to their mothers. This is thus fitting.
Chapter 20
Let the Bishop command that they proclaim that no one taste anything until the Offering is completed. And the whole body of the Church shall receive a new food. Then in the evening let those who are to be baptized be baptized, after one lection.
But if anyone before he approacheth and receiveth of the Eucharist eat something else, he sinneth and his fast is not reckoned to him.
When the Catechumens are dismissed, let a hand be laid on them.
If a faithful because of sickness remain [away], let the Deacon carry the Offering to him.
If anyone be a Presbyter who cannot come, let a Presbyter carry [it] to him.
Similarly if a woman be pregnant [and] sick, and cannot fast these two days, let her fast that one day, taking on the first [day] bread and water. And if she cannot come, let a Deaconess carry [the Offering] to her.
Chapter 21
Let them take [it] up to the hearing of the Bishop, so that if it seem good to the Bishop he may visit them; for the sick [man] is much comforted when the High Priest remembereth him, and especially when he is faithful.
Chapter 22
In answer to him who singeth the Psalms in the Church, let the Virgins and boys respond and sing. But if they sing the Psalms in a house privately, if they be two or three, let them respond to one another, singing the Psalms.
Similarly the men.
Chapter 23
If a Poor man die, let those who provide for each one, provide for his clothing. If anyone who is a stranger die and he have no place to be buried, let those who have a place give [it]. But if the Church hath [a place] let it give [it]. And if he have no covering, let the Church similarly give it. But if he has not grave clothes, let him be shrouded.
But if a man be found to have possessions, and do not leave them to the Church, let them be kept for a time; and after a year let not the Church appropriate them, but let them be given to the Poor for his soul.
But if he desire to be embalmed, let the Deacons provide for this, a Presbyter standing by.
If the Church have a graveyard, and there be one who abideth there and keepeth it, let the Bishop provide for him from the Church, so that he be no burden to those who come there.
Chapter 24
Let the people always take care about the early dawn, that arising and washing their hands they immediately pray. And so let each one go to the work which he willeth.
Let all take care to pray at the third hour with mourning and labour, either in the Church, or in the house because they cannot go (to the Church). For this is the hour of the fixing of the Only-begotten on the Cross.
But at the sixth hour similarly let there be prayer with sorrow. For then the daylight was divided by the darkness. Let there be then that voice which is like to the Prophets, and to creation mourning.
At the ninth hour also let prayer be protracted, as with a hymn of praise that is like to the souls of those who give praise to God that lieth not, as one who hath remembered His Saints, and hath sent His Word and Wisdom to enlighten them. For in that hour life was opened to the faithful, and blood and water were shed from the side of our Lord.
But at evening, when it is the beginning of another day, shewing an image of the resurrection., He hath caused us to give praise.
But at midnight let them arise praising and lauding because of the resurrection.
But at dawn [let them arise] praising with Psalms, because after He rose He glorified the Father while they were singing Psalms. But if any have a consort or wife [not] faithful, let the husband who is faithful go and pray at these times without fail.
Let those who are chaste not lessen [them]. For the adornments of Heaven give praise, the lights, the sun, the moon, the stars, the lightnings, the thunders, the clouds, the Angels, the Archangels, the Glories, the Dominions, the whole [Heavenly] Army, the depths, the sea, the rivers, the wells, fire, dew, and all nature that produceth rain.
All the Saints also give praise and all the souls of the righteous. These, then, who pray are numbered together in the remembrance of God.
[Reasons for Ecclesiastical Rule]
Chapter 25
When ye the faithful accomplish these things, teach and instruct one another, causing the Catechumens to make progress, as loving all men; ye do not perish, but will be in Me and I will be among you.
But always let the faithful take care that before he eat he partake of the Eucharist, that he may be incapable of receiving injury.
When ye teach these things and keep [them], ye shall be saved, and evil heresy shall not prevail against you.
Lo, then, I have taught you now all [things] that ye desire; and those things which I have spoken with you [of] from the beginning, and have taught and commanded you before I should suffer, ye know.
Chapter 26
And thou; especially John, and Andrew and Peter, even now ye know all [the things] which I have spoken to you while I am with you, as also that which [is] in this Testament, in order that when ye deliver [them] to the nations the will of My Father may always be accomplished, abiding firm in carefulness, so that there may be good fruits in them that hear.
Ye know that I have spoken with you that a good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit. All [things], then, that I have commanded you openly and secretly, do. And the God of tranquillity be with you.
Chapter 27
And falling down we worshipped Him, saying. Glory to Thee, Jesus, Name of light, who didst give us the teaching of Thy commandments, so that we may be like unto Thee, we and all those who hear Thee. And when He spoke to us and taught and commanded us, and showed many loosings and miracles. He was taken up from us, giving us tranquillity.
John and Peter and Matthew wrote this Testament, and sent [it] in copies from Jerusalem by Dositheus and Silas and Magnus and Aquila, whom they chose to send [them] to all dioceses. Amen.
The Second Book of Clement is ended, translated from the Greek to the Syrian language by James the Poor, in the year 998 of the Greeks.
End of Second Book
The Testament, Or Words Which Our Lord, When He Rose From The Dead, Spake To The Holy Apostles,
And Which Were Written In Eight Books By Clement Of Rome, The Disciple Of Peter
The First Book
Appearance of Christ to Disciples in Upper Room
It came to pass, after our Lord rose from the dead, and appeared unto us, and was handled by Thomas and Matthew and John, and we were persuaded that our Master was truly risen from the dead, that falling on our faces we blessed the Father of the new world, God, Who hath saved us by Jesus Christ our Lord; and being held in very great fear, we waited prostrate as babes which speak not. But Jesus our Lord, putting His hand on each one of us separately, lifted us up, saying:
Why hath your heart thus fallen, and are ye stricken with great astonishment? Know ye not that He who sent Me can do glorious things for the salvation of them that have from the heart believed on Him? Stand not then as [men] astonished, and staring, neither [be] slothful, but as the children of light ask of My Father which is in Heaven the Spirit of counsel and might, and He will fill you with the Holy Ghost and grant you to be with Me forever.
Chapter 1
And we returned answer, saying, Lord, what is the Holy Ghost, and what is His power, whom Thou badest us to ask for? And our Lord said unto us:
Verily I say unto you that ye shall not be the children of the light except by the Holy Ghost. And we returned answer to Him, and said, our Lord, give us this [Spirit]. And immediately Jesus breathed on us. And after we had received the Holy Ghost, He said unto us. Verily I say unto you, that ye who have been made disciples unto the Kingdom of Heaven, and who have believed in Me with undoubting heart, and have cleaved unto Me, shall be with Me; and all those who through you know and do the will of My Father, who keep My words and know My sufferings, shall be made Holy, and shall dwell in the habitations of My Father, and shall be delivered from the evil days that are about to come; and I will be with them, shewing them My ways in which they shall live.
[Signs of the End of This World]
Chapter 2
And Peter and John answered and said unto Him: Tell us, our Lord, the signs of the end, and all the deeds which shall then be [done] by them who live in this world, so that we also may make [them] known to them who believe in Thy Name in all the nations, that those generations may observe [them] and live. But Jesus answered and said: Did I not, before I suffered for those that dwell on the earth, tell you some things about the end? We answered and said, [Yea,] our Lord; but now we desire to know the deeds which [are] the signs of the end of this world, if our Lord hath judged that this is fitting for us to know; for us, and for those who [shall] hear.
Chapter 3
And Jesus answered and said: In the time when I was in the world, I spoke unto you before I should be glorified, of signs that the end is near, thus: that there shall be on earth famines and pestilences, tumults, and commotions, risings of nations against nations, and those other things whereof I have told you. But I commanded you to watch and pray. And now hear, ye children of the light; for My Father who hath sent Me to His inheritance hath predetermined in His foreknowledge, that in the last days, out of the latest generation, there should be vessels [of grace] Holy, and honoured, and elect. Wherefore I make known unto you exactly [what are] the things which are about to be, and when he shall arise, that Son of Perdition, the Enemy, the Adversary, and what he is like.
Chapter 4
There shall, then, be signs when the Kingdom is approaching such as these. After the famines and pestilences and tumults among the nations, then there shall rule, and rise to power, princes who love money, who hate the truth, who kill their brethren, liars, haters of the faithful, proud, lovers of gold, allied by relationship but not allied in counsel, for they wish each to destroy the life of his fellow. But there shall be in their hosts great affliction, and flight, and bloodshed.
Chapter 5
But there shall arise also in the West a king of foreign race, a prince of great craft, godless, a homicide, a deceiver, a lover of gold, great at devices, a hater of the faithful; a persecutor; and he shall bear rule also over barbarous nations, and shall shed much blood. At that time silver shall be despised and gold be honoured; and in every city and every country there shall be spoiling and robbery, and there shall be spilling of blood.
Chapter 6
Then there shall be signs in Heaven. A bow shall be seen, and a horn, and lights; and noises out of season, and sounds, and ragings of the sea and a roaring of the earth.
Chapter 7
But on the earth shall be signs; the birth of dragons from mankind, and likewise also of wild beasts; and young women newly wedded shall bring forth babes who speak perfectly and announce the last times, and pray to be put to death. And their looks shall be the looks of [men] far advanced in years; they shall be grey-headed when they are born. Also women shall bear babes with four feet: some shall bear spirits only, and some shall bear their progeny with unclean spirits. Others [there] shall [be who] practise divination in the womb, and shall speak with familiar spirits; and there shall be many other horrible signs.
Chapter 8
But in the assemblies, and nations, and Churches, there shall be many tumults, for there shall arise evil shepherds, unjust, slothful, avaricious, lovers of pleasures, lovers of gains, lovers of money, talkative, boastful, haughty, gluttonous, perverse, rash, given to delights, vain-glorious, opposing the ways of the Gospel and fleeing from the strait gate, removing from themselves every humiliation and not sorrowing for My humiliation, rejecting all the words of truth, and despising all the ways of piety, and not mourning for their sins. Therefore there shall be shed abroad among the nations, unbelief, hatred of the brotherhood, wickedness, bitterness, slothfulness, envy, hatred, strife, theft, oppression, drunkenness, debauchery, lasciviousness, licentiousness, fornication, and all such works as are contrary to the commandments of life. For from many mourning and gentleness shall flee away, and peace and meekness, and poverty and piety, and tears, because the shepherds heard these things, and did not do them, and moreover did not shew My commandments, seeing that they [themselves] are examples of wickedness in the nation.
But the time shall come when some of them will deny Me, and will stir up confusions in the earth, and put their trust in a corruptible king. But they who in My Name endure unto the end shall be saved. Then they shall ordain commandments for men, [commandments] unlike the book of commandments in which the Father is well pleased; and My elect and My Holy ones shall be rejected by them, and called among them, as it were, the polluted. Yet these are the upright ones, pure, sad, merciful, quiet, kind, always knowing Him who is among them at all times, and they shall be called mad for My sake, who have saved them. It shall come to pass also in those days that My Father shall gather together out of that generation the pure ones, even the pure and faithful souls, those to whom I will appear, and with whom I will make My habitation, and I will send to them the understanding of knowledge and of truth, and the understanding of holiness, and they shall not cease praising and giving thanks to their God, My Father who sent Me; and they shall speak the truth at all times, and they shall teach [others] whose spirit they have tried [and have found] that they are upright and worthy, as for the Kingdom, and shall instruct them in knowledge and strength and prudence. And those who suffer persecution because they live in piety shall receive the reward of their praise. And it shall be in those times that all the Kingdoms shall be disturbed, and all the world also [shall see] affliction and want; and all this world shall be reputed as nothing; and all its possessions shall be destroyed by many [destroyers], and there shall be great scarcity of crops, and the winter shall be very severe; and the princes shall be few in number and small, who have rule over gold and over silver, and are rich in all those things which are in this world; and the children of this world shall hold their storerooms and barns, and shall have rule over the markets of buying and selling. Many shall be afflicted, and on that account shall call upon their God that they may be delivered. Blessed are they who are not [alive] at that time; and [blessed] they [also] who shall be [alive indeed], but [shall] endure. For when these things shall come to pass, then soon she that travaileth is near to bring forth, for the time is fulfilled.
Chapter 9
Then shall come the Son of Perdition, the Adversary, who boasteth and exalteth himself, working many signs and miracles, that he may deceive the whole earth, and overcome the innocent, My Holy ones. Blessed are they who endure in those days. But woe to those who are deceived.
Chapter 10
But Syria shall be plundered, and shall weep for her sons. Cilicia shall lift up her neck until He who judgeth her shall appear. The daughter of Babylon shall arise from the throne of her glory, that she may drink that wine which is mixed for her. Cappadocia, Lycia, Lyconia shall bow down the back, for many multitudes shall be depraved by the corruption of their wickednesses. And then shall be opened the camps of the barbarians, for many chariots shall go forth so as to cover [the face of] the earth. In all Armenia, and in Pontus, and in Bithynia the young men shall fall by the sword, and the sons and the daughters shall be captives. [The sons and the daughters] of Lyconia shall be mingled in [their] blood. Pisidia which boasteth, and trusteth in [her] riches, shall be over-thrown [even] to the ground. The sword shall pass through Phoenicia, because [her inhabitants] are children of corruption. Judaea shall clothe herself with lamentation, and shall be made ready for the day of destruction, because of her uncleanness. Then shall she gather together the abomination of desolation. The East shall be opened by him; also the ways shall be opened by him. Sword and flame [are] in his hands: he burneth with anger and fiery indignation. This is the armour of the judgment of the corruption of them that are born in the earth; the extermination of the faithful, the way of bloodshed; for his way is in error and his power is to blaspheme, and his hand for deception, his right hand in misery, and his left hand in darkness.
Chapter 11
And these are the signs of him: his head [is] as a fiery flame: his right eye shot with blood, his left [eye] blue-black, and he hath two pupils. His eyelashes are white; and his lower lip is large; but his right thigh slender; his feet broad; his great toe is bruised and flat. This is the sickle of desolation.
After this let the prayer be completed, and let the Reader then read the Prophets and the rest; let the Presbyter or Deacon read the Gospel; and then let the Bishop or Presbyter teach those things which are convenient and profitable. After that let there be a prayer, and let the Catechumens receive a laying on of the hand.
[Reasons for Ecclesiastical Rule]
Chapter 12
Therefore I say unto you, [ye] children of the light, that the time is at hand, and the harvest is ripe that sinners should be harvested in judgment. And to many the Judge shall arise as one who is kind, and shall impute to them their own works. But when He shall be at hand, a sign shall be given to the elect, who keep the law of My Father.
Chapter 13
Then those who fear My words, and do them in truth and with a faithful mind, shall watch and pray without ceasing, reckoning continual supplication as a work, in nothing wandering or going about in this world, and in nothing anxious, but with an austere soul and a mind that doubteth not, daily taking on them the Cross, to do the will of My Father which is in Heaven, with a meek heart. For He who is anxious about them that trust in the truth, and careth for them, is the Lord; and He sendeth to them those things which are right and fitting — those things which He knoweth, and by the hands of them whom He knoweth.
Chapter 14
I have told you these things, therefore, that wherever ye go, ye may test the souls that are Holy, and tell them those things which are fitting and right, and those things which are about to be, and all those things which, before I was glorified, I gave you in commandment, so that believing [them] they may truly live. From henceforth shall be the beginning of travail, and the mystery of destruction.
Turning therefore to the Church, setting right, duly ordering, and arranging, and doing all things in uprightness and holiness, speak to every man as is helpful to him, so that your Father which is in Heaven may be glorified. Be ye wise, that ye may persuade those who are in captivity to error, and those who are sunk in ignorance, that coming to the knowledge of God, and living piously and purely, they may praise My Father and your God.
Chapter 15
Now after Jesus had spoken these words, Peter and John and Thomas and Matthew and Andrew and Matthias (?) and the rest said:
Our Lord, truly Thou hast spoken to us now also words of warning and of truth, and though we are not worthy Thou hast bestowed upon us many things, and hast granted also to those of future generations who are worthy, to know Thy words and to flee from the snares of the Evil One. But, our Lord, we beseech Thee, make Thy perfect light to shine upon us, and upon those who are foreordained and separated to be Thine. Because that we have many times asked Thee, we pray Thee teach us of what sort he ought to be who standeth at the head of the Church, or with what rule he should raise up and order the Church. For it is urgent that when we are sent to the nations to preach the salvation which is from Thee, it should not escape us as to how it is fitting to arrange the Mysteries of the Church. Therefore from Thy mouth, our Saviour and Perfecter, we desire to learn without omission how the Chief of the Holy things ought to please Thee, and [likewise] all those who minister in Thy Church.
Chapter 16
Then Martha and Mary, and Salome, who were with us, answered and said — Yea, O our Lord, teach us to know what we ought to do, that our souls may live unto Thee. Then Jesus answered and said unto them: I will that, persevering in supplication, ye should always serve My Gospel, and be examples of holiness, for the salvation of those who trust patiently in Me; and in all things be figures of the Kingdom of Heaven.
Chapter 17
But to us also Jesus said — Because that ye also have asked Me concerning the Rule Ecclesiastical, I deliver and make known to you how ye ought to order and commanded you. And it shall be to him that is embittered and doeth them not, but giveth My words without profit, for the destruction of their souls.
But My Father is mediator, and all His host, that if their sins are as the sand of the sea[shore] which cannot be numbered, and any of them, understanding these words, shall do them, these sins shall be forgiven him, and he shall live in Me.
Chapter 18
But because in the midst of the assembly of the people [there are], more and more, many carnal desires, and the labourers are feeble and few, only My perfect labourers shall know the multitude of My words, all also which at times I spake to you in private before I should suffer, and which ye know; ye both have them and understand them.
For My mysteries are given to those who are Mine, with whom I shall rejoice and be glad with My Father. When they shall be loosed from [this] life they shall come to Me.
But these remaining words, determining and appointing them, speak ye in the Churches.
But from the day that My faithful ones also have the desire to know, that they may do the things of My Father, what[soever is] in this My testament, I will be with them, and will be praised among them, and I will make My habitation with them, by power informing them of the will of My Father.
See that ye give not My holy things to the dogs, and cast not pearls before swine, as I have often commanded you.
Give not My holy things to defiled and wicked men who do not bear My cross, and are not subject [to Me]; and My commandments shall be for derision among them. And it shall be to him that is embittered and doeth them not, but giveth My words without profit, for the destruction of their souls.
But it shall be spoken and given to those who are firm and fixed, and do not fall away, who keep My commandments and this tradition, [to the end] that they, keeping these [things], may abide holy and upright and strong in Me, fleeing from the downfall of iniquity and the death of sin; the Holy Ghost [also] bestowing upon them His grace, that they may believe uprightly, that they may in the Spirit spiritually know the things of the Spirit, and in hope endure labour, and in joy serve My Gospel, and bear the reproach of My cross, not doubting but [rather] glorying; for verily I say unto you, that such as these [men] and such as these [women] shall, after death, dwell in the third order of My Father who hath sent Me.
[Of The Sanctuary]
[Chapter 19]
I tell you therefore how the Sanctuary ought to be; then I will make known the Holy rule of the Priests of the Church.
Let the Church then be thus: let it have three entrances as a type of the Trinity.
Let the Diaconicum be on the right of the right hand entrance, that the Eucharists, or offerings which are offered, may be seen. Let there be a forecourt, with a portico going round, to the Diaconicum.
Then within the forecourt let there be a place [to serve] for a baptistery, its length twenty-one cubits as a general type of the Prophets, and its width twelve cubits as a type of those who have been determined to preach the Gospel, with one entrance and three exits.
Let the Church have a house of the Catechumens, which shall be also the house of the Exorcists. Let it not be detached from the Church, but so that those who enter and are in it may hear the Lections and spiritual hymns of praise and Psalms.
Let there be a throne by the Altar; on the right and on the left [let there be] the places of the Presbyters, so that on the right may sit those who are more exalted and honoured, and those who labour in the word; but those who are of middle age on the left hand. But that place where the throne is, let it be raised three steps, for there the Altar ought to be.
Let that house have two porches, on the right and on the left, for men and for women.
Let all the places be lighted, both for a type, and also for reading.
Let the Altar have a Veil of pure linen, for it is without spot.
Also the baptistery likewise, let it be under a Veil.
Let a place be built as for commemoration, so that the Priest and Chief Deacon sitting with the Readers may write the names of those who offer the oblations, or of those for whom they have offered [them], so that when the Holy Things are offered by the Bishop, the Reader or Chief Deacon may name them by way of commemoration, which the Priests and people offer for them with supplication. For there is this type also in Heaven.
Let the place of the Presbyters be within the Veil, beside that place of commemoration.
Let the house of the offering and the treasury be quite beside the Diaconicum.
But let the place of the Lection be a little outside the Altar.
Let the house of the Bishop be beside that place which is called the fore-court.
Also that of those Widows who are called “Those That Sit In Front.”
Also let that of the Presbyters and Deacons be behind the baptistery.
Let the Deaconesses abide beside the door of the Lord’s house.
Let the Church have a house for entertaining nearby, where the Chief Deacon shall entertain strangers.
[Of The Bishop]
Chapter 20
Now after the house is [built] as is fitting and right, let the Bishop be appointed, being chosen by all the people according to the will of the Holy Ghost, being without fault, chaste, quiet, mild, without anxiety, watchful, not a money-lover, blameless, not quarrelsome, ready to forgive, a teacher, not given to much speaking, a lover of good things, a lover of labour, a lover of Widows, a lover of Orphans, a lover of the Poor, experienced in the Mysteries, not lax and distracted in company with this world, peaceful, and in all good things perfect, as one to whom the order and place of God is entrusted. It is good indeed that he be without a wife, but at any rate that he have been the husband of one wife only, so that he may sympathise with the weakness of Widows. Let him be appointed when he is of middle age, not a youth.
Chapter 21
Being such as this, let him receive ordination on the first day of the week, all consenting to his appointment, and bearing witness to him, with all the neighbouring Presbyters and Bishops. Let those Bishops lay hands on him, having first washed their hands, but let the Presbyters stand beside them, not speaking, in fear, lifting up their hearts in silence.
After [that], let the Bishops lay hands on him, saying:
We lay hands on the servant of God, who hath been chosen in the Spirit, for the true and pious disposing of the Church, which alone hath the principality, and which is not dissolved, of the invisible [and] living God, and for the delivering of true judgment and divine and Holy revelations, and of divine gifts and faithful doctrines of the Trinity, by the Cross, by the resurrection, by the incorruptibility, in the Holy Church of God.
After this, one Bishop, commanded by the other Bishops, shall lay hands on him, saying his calling of appointment; thus:
Prayer Of Ordination Of A Bishop
God, who hast done all things in power, and hast established them, and hast founded the inhabited world in reason, and hast adorned the crown of all these things which were made by Thee; who hast given to them to keep Thy commandments in fear; who hast bestowed upon us the understanding of the truth, and hast made known unto us that good Spirit of Thine; who didst send Thy Beloved Son, the only Saviour, without spot, for our salvation; God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who in the heights dost dwell eternally, who art high and adorable, dreadful and great; who seest all things, who knowest all things before they are, with whom all things were before they were [made]; who gavest illumination to the Church by the grace of Thy Only-begotten Son, having foreordained from the beginning those who delight in just things, and do those things that are Holy, to dwell in Thy habitations; who didst choose Abraham, who pleased Thee by his faith, and didst translate Holy Enoch to the treasure-house of life; who hast ordered Princes and Priests in Thine Upper Sanctuary; Lord, who didst call [them] to praise and glorify the Name of Thee and of Thy Only-begotten in the place of Thy glory; Lord God, who before the foundation of the world didst not leave Thine Upper Sanctuary without a ministry, and also, since the foundation of the world, hast adorned and glorified Thy Sanctuaries [on earth] with faithful Princes and Priests, after the pattern of Thine [own] Heaven; Thou, Lord, even now also art well pleased to be praised, and hast vouchsafed that there should be princes for Thy people: Cause to shine forth and pour out understanding, and the grace which cometh from Thy princely Spirit, which Thou didst deliver to Thy Beloved Son Jesus Christ; give wisdom, God, [give] reasoning, strength, power, unity of spirit to do all things by Thy co-operation. Give the Spirit which is Thine, Holy God; send to Thy Holy and pure Church, and to every place which singeth to Thee “Holy,” Him who was given to Thy Holy One; and grant, Lord, that this Thy servant may please Thee for doxology, and for laud without ceasing, God, for fitting hymns of praise, and for suitable times, for acceptable prayers, for faithful asking, for an upright mind, for a meek heart, for the working of life and of meekness and of truth, for the knowledge of uprightness. Father, who knowest the hearts, [grant] to this Thy servant whom Thou hast chosen for the episcopate, to feed Thy Holy flock, and to stand at the head of the Priesthood without fault, ministering to Thee day and night; grant that Thy face may be seen by him; vouchsafe, Lord, that he may offer to Thee the offerings of Thy Holy Church carefully [and] with all fear; bestow upon him that he may have Thy powerful Spirit to loose all bands, as Thou didst bestow them] on Thy Apostles, to please Thee in meekness; fill him full of love, knowledge, understanding, discipline, perfectness, strength, and a pure heart, when he prayeth for the people, and when he mourneth for those who commit folly and draweth them to [receive] help; when he offereth to Thee praises and thanksgivings and prayers for a sweet-smelling savour through Thy Beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom [are given] to Thee praise and honour and might, with the Holy Ghost, both before the worlds, and also now, and at all times, and forever and ever without end. Amen.
And let the people say: Amen. And then let them cry out: He is worthy, He is worthy, He is worthy.
After he is [ordained], let the people keep the feast three days, according to the mystery that in three days [our Lord] rose from the dead. And let everyone give him the Peace.
Chapter 22
Let him be constant at the Altar; in prayers let him be persistent day and night, especially at the obligatory times of night; at the first hour, at midnight, and at early twilight when the star of the dawn riseth. Then also in the morning, at the third, sixth, ninth [hours, and the] twelfth hour at the lamp [lighting]. If also at every hour he offer prayers without ceasing for the people and for himself, he doeth well. Let him abide in the house of the Church alone. If he have one or two likeminded with himself, it is good that he should be with them for united supplication in unison. For where two or three are gathered together in My Name, ye know that I have said unto you that I am in the midst of them. But if he cannot abide all night long, yet let him remain these hours that I have said. For then the Angels visit the Church.
Let him fast three days each [week] all the year. But for three weeks after his appointment let him maintain the fast according to the number of the eighteen Exalted Entrances by which the Only-begotten passed when He came to the passion. But on the first day of the week only let him feed on bread with oil and honey and salt, and all fruits of trees; but let him in no wise taste wine, except only the cup of the Offering. This let him use whether ill or well. For it is good that this be for the Priests only. And so after these weeks all the year, let him fast three days each [week]; and for the rest of the time let him fast according to his strength.
But in no wise let him eat meat, not because if he taste or eat [meat] he is to be blamed, but because when he loveth infirmity these strong meats are not fitting, and in order that he may watch. Let the Offering only be on Saturday, or on the first day of the week, and on a fast-day. On the eve let him instruct and teach these things in the manner of a mystery to those whom he hath tested as having ears to hear. But if he be sick in body, let him quickly take care to heal himself, feeding on fish, and constantly [taking] a little wine of the Holy thing, that the Church may not also come to an end because he is lying sick; but [that] those who learn may receive joy. But when teaching in the Church, let him speak thus carefully, as a man who knoweth that he is speaking for a testimony the doctrine of all the ministry of the Father of all, that [doctrine] which is accurately written. Let him say all these things — all those which he accurately knoweth and remembereth of old. For if he knoweth what he saith, he may have hope that his hearers also [will] have known these things. And with all his labour, let him beseech the Lord, so that his word may bring forth the fruits of the Holy Spirit in them that hear.
Let him do everything in order, and with knowledge. Let him dismiss the Catechumens after he hath admonished them with meditations and admonitions of the Prophets and Apostles, with instructive words, so that they may know Him whom they confess. But let him teach the faithful after the manner of a mystery, having first dismissed the Catechumens; and after the instruction in the Mysteries let him offer, so that knowing in what mystery they are taking part, they may offer with fear.
[Of the Eucharist]
Chapter 23
Let him offer on Saturday three loaves for a complete symbol of the Trinity; but on the first day of the week let him offer four loaves for a complete symbol of the Gospel.
Because that the ancient people erred, when he offereth let the Veil in front of the door be closed, and within it let him offer with the Presbyters and Deacons and the canonical Widows, and Sub-Deacons and Deaconesses and Readers [and] those who have gifts. But let the Bishop stand first in the middle, and the Presbyters immediately behind him on either side, and the Widows immediately behind the Presbyters on the left side, and the Deacons also behind the Presbyters on the right hand side; the Readers behind them, and the sub-Deacons behind the Readers, and the Deaconesses behind the Sub-Deacons.
Let the Presbyter then place his hand on those loaves which have been set on the Altar, and let the Presbyters place their hands together with him, and let the rest stand only.
Let not the loaf of Catechumens be received; not even if he have a believing son or wife and wish to offer on their behalf; let it not be offered unless he is baptized.
Before the Bishop or Presbyter offereth, let the people give the Peace to one another.
Then, a great silence being made, let the Deacon say thus:
Admonition Of The Deacon On The Eucharist
[Lift up] your hearts to Heaven. If any man have wrath against his companion, let him be reconciled. If any man have a conscience without faith, let him confess [it]. If any man have a thought foreign to the commandments, let him depart. If any man have fallen into sin, let him not hide himself: he may not hide himself. If any man have a disordered reason, let him not draw near. If any man be defiled, if any man be not firm, let him give place. If any man be a stranger to the commandments of Jesus, let him depart. If any man despise the Prophets, let him separate himself: from the wrath of the Only-begotten let him deliver himself. Let us not despise the Cross. Let us flee from threatening. We have our Lord as onlooker, the Father of Lights with the Son, [and] the Angels who visit [us]. See to yourselves that ye be not in anger against your neighbours. See that no man be in wrath: God seeth. [Lift] up your hearts to offer for the salvation of life and of holiness.
In the wisdom of God let us receive the grace which hath been bestowed upon us.
Then let the Bishop say, giving and rendering thanks with an awed voice: Our Lord [be] with you.
And let the people say: And with thy spirit.
Let the Bishop say: [Lift] up your hearts.
Let the people say: They are [lifted up] unto the Lord.
Let the Bishop say: Let us give thanks to the Lord.
Arid let all the people say: It is meet and right.
And let the Bishop cry: Holy things in Holy [persons].
And let the people call out: In Heaven and on earth without ceasing.
Eucharist Of Thanksgiving Over The Offering
Let the Bishop immediately say:
We render thanks to Thee, God, the Holy One, Confirmer of our souls, and Giver of our life, the Treasure of incorruptibility, and Father of the Only-begotten, our Saviour, whom in the latter times Thou didst send to us as a Saviour and Proclaimer of Thy purpose. For it is Thy purpose that we should be saved in Thee. Our heart giveth thanks unto Thee, Lord, [our] mind, [our] soul, with all [its] thinking, that Thy grace may come upon us, Lord, so that we may continually praise Thee, and Thy Only-begotten Son, and Thy Holy Ghost, now and always, and forever and ever. Amen.
Thou Power of the Father, the Grace of the nations, Knowledge, true Wisdom, the Exaltation of the meek, the Medicine of souls, the Confidence of us who believe, for Thou art the Strength of the righteous, the Hope of the persecuted, the Haven of those who are buffeted, the Illuminator of the Perfect, the Son of the living God, make to arise on us, out of Thy gift which cannot be searched into, courage, might, reliance, wisdom, strength, unlapsing faith, unshaken hope, the knowledge of Thy Spirit, meekness [and] uprightness, so that always, Lord, we Thy servants, and all the people, may praise Thee purely, may bless Thee, may give thanks unto Thee, Lord, at all times, and may beseech Thee.
And also let the Bishop say:
Thou, Lord, the Founder of the heights, and King of the treasuries of light, Visitor of the heavenly Sion, King of the Orders of Archangels, of Dominions, Praises, Thrones, Raiments, Lights, Joys, Delights, the Father of kings, who holdest all in Thy hand, and suppliest [all] by Thy reason, through Thine Only-begotten Son who was crucified for our sins: Thou, Lord, didst send Thy Word, who is of Thy counsel and covenant, by whom Thou madest all things, being well pleased with Him, into a Virgin womb; who, when He was conceived, [and] made flesh, was shown to be Thy Son, being born of the Holy Ghost and the Virgin; who, fulfilling Thy will, and preparing a Holy people, stretched forth His hands to suffering, that He might loose from sufferings and corruption and death those who have hoped in thee; who when He was betrayed to voluntary suffering that He might raise up those who had slipped, and find those who were lost, and give life to the dead, and loose [the pains of] death, and rend the bonds of the Devil, and fulfil the counsel of the Father, and tread down Sheol, and open the way of life, and guide the righteous to light, and fix the boundary, and lighten the darkness, and nurture the babes, and reveal the resurrection;
Taking bread, gave it to His disciples, saying, Take, eat, this is My Body which is broken for you for the forgiveness of sins. When ye shall do this, ye make My resurrection.
Also the cup of wine which He mixed He gave for a type of the Blood which he shed for us.
And also let him say:
Remembering therefore Thy death and resurrection, we offer to Thee bread and the cup, giving thanks to Thee who alone art God forever, and our Saviour, since Thou hast promised to us to stand before Thee and to serve Thee in Priesthood. Therefore we render thanks to Thee, we Thy servants, Lord.
And let the people say likewise.
And also let [the Bishop] say:
We offer to Thee this thanksgiving, Eternal Trinity, Lord Jesus Christ, Lord the Father before whom all creation and every nature trembleth fleeing into itself, Lord the Holy Ghost; we have brought this drink and this food of Thy Holiness [to Thee]; Cause that it may be to us not for condemnation, not for reproach, not for destruction, but for the medicine and support of our spirit. Yea, O God, grant us that by Thy Name every thought of things displeasing to Thee may flee away. Grant, God, that every proud conception may be driven away from us by Thy Name which is written within the Veils of Thy Sanctuaries, those high ones — unbelief is cast out, disobedience is subdued, anger is appeased, envy worketh not, pride is reproved, avarice rooted out, boasting taken away, arrogance humbled, [and] every root of bitterness destroyed.
Grant therefore, Lord, to our innermost eyes to see Thee, commemorating Thee [and] serving Thee, having a portion in Thee alone, Son and Word of God, who subduest all things.
Sustain unto the end those who have gifts of revelations.
Confirm those who have a gift of healing.
Make those courageous who have the power of tongues.
Keep those who have the word of doctrine upright.
Care for those who do Thy will always. Visit the Widows. Help the Orphans. Remember those who have fallen asleep in the faith. And grant us an inheritance with Thy Saints, and bestow [upon us] the power to please Thee as they also pleased Thee. Feed the people in uprightness: sanctify us all, God; but grant that all those who partake and receive of Thy Holy Things may be made one with Thee, so that they may be filled with the Holy Ghost, for the confirmation of the faith in truth, that they may lift up always a doxology to Thee, and to Thy Beloved Son Jesus Christ, by whom praise and might [be] unto Thee, with Thy Holy Spirit forever and ever.
Let the people say: Amen.
The Deacon: Earnestly let us beseech our Lord and our God that He may bestow upon us concord of spirit.
The Bishop: Give us concord in the Holy Spirit, and heal our souls by this offering, that we may live in Thee in all the ages of ages.
The people: Amen.
Let the people also pray in the same words,
After these things the seal of thanksgiving thus: Let the Name of the Lord be blessed forever.
The people: Amen.
The Priest: Blessed is He that hath come in the Name of the Lord. Blessed [is] the Name of His praise.
And let all the people say: So be it, so be it.
Let the Bishop say: Send the grace of the Spirit upon us.
If the Bishop be polluted, let him not offer, but let a Presbyter offer. Also let him not receive of the mystery, not as though he were defiled, but because of the honour of the Altar. But after he hath fasted and bathed in pure water, let him approach and minister. Similarly also a Presbyter. And if also a Widow he menstruous, let her not approach. Similarly if a woman or a layman or any of the company [of the clergy be polluted], let him not approach, for the honour [of the Altar] except after fasting and bathing.
Let the Priests first receive, thus: the Bishops, Presbyters, Deacons, Widows, Readers, Sub-Deacons. After these those that have gifts, those newly baptized, babes.
The people thus: old men, Virgins, and the rest. The women [thus]: Deaconesses, and after that the rest.
Let each one when he receiveth the thanksgiving say before he partaketh: Amen. After that let him pray thus; after that he receiveth the Eucharist. let him say:
Holy, Holy, Holy, Trinity ineffable, grant me to receive unto life this Body, [and] not unto condemnation. And grant me to bring forth the fruits that are pleasing to Thee, so that when I shall be shown to be pleasing to Thee I may live in Thee, doing Thy commandments; and [that] with boldness I may call Thee Father; when I call for Thy Kingdom and Thy will [to come] to me. May Thy Name be hallowed in me, Lord; for Thou art mighty and [to be] praised, and to Thee be praise forever and ever. Amen.
After the prayer let him receive.
When he taketh of the Cup, let him say twice Amen, for a complete symbol of the Body and Blood.
After all receive, let them pray, giving and rendering thanks for the reception, the Deacon saying:
Let us give thanks unto the Lord, receiving His Holy Things, so that the reception [of them] may be for the life and salvation of our souls. Let us beg and beseech [His grace], raising a doxology to the Lord our God.
After that let the Bishop [say]:
Lord, Giver of light eternal, the Helmsman of souls, the Guide of Saints; Give us understanding eyes which always look to Thee, and ears which hear Thee only, so that our soul may be filled with grace. Create in us a clean heart, God; so that we may alway comprehend Thy greatness. O God, Wonderful, who lovest man, make our souls better, and, by this Eucharist which we, Thy servants, who fail in much, have [now] received, form our thoughts so that they shall not swerve: for Thy Kingdom is blessed, Lord God, [who art] glorified and praised in Father and in Son and in Holy Ghost, both before the worlds, and now, and alway, and for the ages and forever and ever without end.
The people: Amen.
[Of Consecrating the Oil For Healing and for Baptism]
Chapter 24
If the Priest consecrate oil for the healing of those who suffer, let him say thus, quietly} placing the vessel before the Altar:
Lord God, who hast bestowed upon us the Spirit, the Paraclete, the Lord, the saving and unshaken Name, which is hidden from the foolish but revealed unto the wise; Christ, who didst sanctify us, and by Thy mercies dost make the servants whom Thou choosest wise with the wisdom that is Thine, who didst send the knowledge of Thy Spirit to us sinners by the holiness which is Thine, bestowing on us the power of the Spirit; who art the Healer of every sickness and of every suffering; who didst give the gift of healing to those who were counted worthy of this by Thee; send on this oil, which is the type of Thy fatness, the delivering [power] of Thy good compassion, that it may deliver those who labour and heal those who are sick, and sanctify those who return, when they approach to Thy faith; for Thou art mighty and [to be] praised forever and ever.
The people: Amen.
Chapter 25
Likewise, the same also over water.
[Hymn of Praise at Dawn, Including on Day of Baptism]
Chapter 26
At early dawn let the Bishop assemble the people, so that the service may be finished before the rising of the sun.
When he saith the First Hymn of Praise, of the Dawn, the Presbyters and Deacons and the rest, the faithful also, [standing] close by, let him say thus: Praise to the Lord.
And let the people say: It is meet and right.
Hymn Of Praise For The Dawn
The Bishop: It is meet and right that we should praise and laud and give thanks to Thee, who didst make all, ineffable God. Stretching forth our souls upward, we raise to Thee, O Lord, a hymn of praise for the morning, — to Thee who art all-wise, powerful, great in mercies, God, the Confirmer and Raiser-up of our souls; we praise Thee, the Word who before the worlds wast begotten of the Father, and restest alone with Thy Saints, who art praised with the hymns of the Archangels, — Thee the Maker, who wast not made with hands, and who makest known Holy things which are invisible, pure, and spotless, — Thee who hast made known to us the hidden Mysteries of wisdom, and didst promise to us immortal light; we lift up praise to Thee in pure holiness, we Thy servants, Lord.
And let the people say: We praise Thee, we bless Thee, we give thanks to Thee, Lord; and we beseech Thee, our God.
Also [let] the Bishop say: God, the Begetter of light, the Principle of life, the Giver of knowledge, the Gift of grace, the Maker of souls, who makest things [that are] beautiful, the Giver of the Holy Ghost, the Treasure of Wisdom, and the Maker of good things, the Lord, the Teacher of holiness, who rulest the worlds by Thy will, the Receiver of pure prayers; we praise Thee, the Only-begotten Son, the First-born and Word of the Father, who didst bestow all Thy grace on us who call upon Thee, the Helper, and upon the Father who begat Thee; who hast an essence that cannot be injured, where neither moth nor worm doth corrupt; who givest to all that with all their heart trust in Thee those things which the Angels have desired to behold; who art the Guardian of light eternal and [of] treasures incorruptible; who hast by the will of Thy Father shed light on the darkness which [is] in us; who from the depth hast raised us up to light; who hast given us life out of death, and bestowed upon us freedom out of slavery; who by the Cross hast made us of the household of Thy Father, and by Thy Gospel hast guided us to the heights of Heaven, and hast comforted us by Thy Prophets; who in Thine own Person hast made us of the household of God the Father of lights; grant us, Lord, that we may praise Thee, our God, so that always with unceasing thanksgiving we may speak praises to Thee, we Thy servants, Lord.
The people: We praise Thee, we bless Thee, we give thanks to Thee, we beseech Thee, our God.
Let the Bishop also say:
We sing to Thee with our mouths this triple hymn of praise as a figure of Thy Kingdom, Son of God, who [art] by eternity; who [art] above all, with the Father; whom all creation praiseth, trembling with fear of Thy Spirit; at whom all nature trembleth in fear and [whom] every soul of the righteous blesseth; with whom all we have taken refuge; who hast made confusion, storms, [and] wind to cease from us; who hast been to us an haven of rest, and a place to flee unto from corruption; in whom we have hope of eternal salvation; who makest the peacefulness of fine weather lo for those who are buffeted on the seas and with the tempests; who in sicknesses art entreated and healest without price; who art with those that are shut up in prison; who hast loosed us from the bonds of death; [who art] the Comforter of the Poor, and of those who mourn, and of those who have laboured and wearied themselves with the Cross; who turnest away from us every menace; who for us hast reproved the craft of Satan; who drivest away his menaces, and givest us courage; who thrusteth away all error from those that trust in Thee; whom the Prophets and Apostles praised secretly: we praise Thee, Lord, we lift up to Thee a doxology, so that, having known Thee, we may rest in the habitations of life, doing Thy will always. And grant to us, Lord, to walk according to Thy commandments, and in mercy visit us all, both small and great, the prince and his people, the shepherd and his flock; for Thou, Lord, art our God, and blessed and praised [is] Thy Kingdom — [the Kingdom] of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, both before the worlds, and now and always, and for the ages, and forever and ever without end.
And let the people say: Amen.
Let them sing Psalms and four hymns of praise; one by Moses, and of Solomon, and of the other Prophets. Thus: little singing-hoys; two Virgins; three Deacons; three Presbyters. And so let the hymn of praise be said by the Bishop, or by one of the Presbyters.
Let it be said thus: The grace of our Lord [be] with you all.
And let the people say: And with thy spirit.
And let the Priest say: Also let us praise our Lord.
And let the people say: Meetly and rightly.
Let the Priest say: Let your hearts be fixed.
And let the people say: We have [them fixed] with the Lord.
Hymn Of Praise Of The Seal
Lord, the Father, the Giver of light, the Author of all power and of all spirits, the Sealer of eternal light, and the Guide of life, the Maker of felicity and immortality, who hast made us to pass through material darkness, and hast bestowed upon us immaterial light; who hast loosed the bonds of disobedience and crowned us with the faith which is Thine; who dost not keep far off from Thy servants, but art in them always; who dost not neglect those [souls] which with labour and in Thy fear beseech Thee; who knowest all things before they are thought, and searchest out all things before they are considered, and givest what Thou wilt give before we ask Thee; who art well pleased to hear those who with heart undoubting serve Thee, King of the highest lights and the soldiery of Heaven, who hearest the Archangels when they praise Thee, and art pleased in them; Answer us, Lord, we beseech Thee. Grant us with boldness [with] unceasing voice to praise Thee, to laud Thee, to lift up to Thee a doxology; so that being guarded by Thee and guided in light, we Thy servants, Lord, may constantly praise Thee.
The people: We praise Thee, we bless Thee, we give thanks to Thee, Lord; and we beseech Thee, our God.
The Priest: Lord Jesus, hear us, Holy One, who wast the Voice of the dumb and the irrational, the Strength of the paralysed, the Giver of light to the blind, the Guide of the lame, the Cleanser of the lepers, the Curer of material fluxes, the Healer of the deaf and dumb, the Reprover of death, the Tormentor of darkness, the Ray of light, and the Lamp that is not quenched, the Sun that is not darkened [and] resteth [not]; but who always givest light unto Thy Saints; who hast established all things together for the good likeness of comeliness; who art the well-tempered Reason; who hast plainly given light to all; who art the Saviour of the sons of men, and the Converter of souls; who art the Provider of all things as is right, the Maker of the Angels, who adornest all; the Thought of the Father; who didst found the worlds in prudence and wisdom, and didst establish them together; and wast sent from Thy eternal Father unto us; the Intelligence of the Spirit who may not be apprehended or understood, the Maker-known of things invisible; Thou art glorious, and Thy Name is Wonderful. Therefore we also, Thy servants, Lord, give praise to Thee.
The people: We praise Thee, we bless Thee, we give thanks to Thee, Lord; we beseech Thee, our Lord.
The Priest: We sing, Holy Lord, this threefold hymn of praise to Thee, who didst give us a faith in Thee which cannot be loosed, whereby Thou didst make us to conquer the bonds of death; who didst create upright minds in them that trust in Thee, that they might be Gods; who by the Spirit didst give unto us to tread under foot all the power of the enemy that we may not profane those things which may not be profaned; who by Thy mediation hast made friendship for us with Thy Father. Answer us Thy servants, Lord, [Thou] whom without ceasing we entreat, who at our supplication givest [us] power against the adversary; whom always we ask, as [it were], for the overthrow of the Evil one; Hear us, King Eternal; comfort the Widows, help the Orphans; pity and cleanse those who are possessed with unclean spirits, give wisdom to the unwise; convert those who go astray; deliver those who are in prison; guard us all, for Thou, Lord, art our God; blessed and glorious is Thy Kingdom.
The people: Amen.
[Of the Eucharist]
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
[Of the Eucharist on the Day of Baptism]
After that let the Bishop teach the Mysteries to the people. But if he be not present, let a Presbyter speak so that the faithful may know to whom they are approaching and who is their God and Father. Then let the teaching of the Mysteries be said thus:
Initiation Into The Mysteries Which Is Said Before The Offering To The Faithful
[We confess] Him who is pre-existent, and was present, and is, and cometh; who suffered and was buried, and rose, and was glorified by the Father; who loosed our cords from death, who rose from the dead; who is not only Man but therewith also God; who by the Holy Ghost restored the flesh of Adam with [his] soul to immortality, because He preserved Adam by the Spirit; who clothed Himself with dead Adam and made him to live; who ascended into Heaven; under whom, after the Cross, Death fell, and was conquered, when its bonds, whereby the Devil sometimes waxed strong and prevailed against us, were dissolved; [and] through whose passion [Death] was manifested useless and weak when [Jesus] cut his cords and his power, when his snares were cut, and He struck him on his face, [even Death] who was filled with darkness and was shaken, and feared, beholding the Only-begotten Son; who in His [human] soul descended in the Godhead into Sheol; who descended from the pure heights above the Heavens; Him [we confess] the indivisible Thought who is from the Father, and [is] of one will with Him; Him the Maker, with His Father, of Heaven; who is the Angels’ Crown, the Archangels’ Strength, the Raiment of the Hosts and the Spirit of the Dominions; Him, the Ruler of the Everlasting Kingdom, and Prince of the Saints, the unfathomable Intelligence of the Father; Him who is the Wisdom, the Power, the Lord, the Thought, Intelligence, Hand, Arm of the Father.
As we believe, we confess Him who is our Light, Salvation, Saviour, Protector, Helper, Teacher, Deliverer, Rewarder, Assister, Strength, Wall; our Shepherd, Entrance, Door, Way, Life, Medicine, Provision, Drink, [and] Judge. We confess Him passible [yet] not passible. Son [yet] not created, dead [yet] alive, the Son of the Father, incomprehensible [yet] comprehensible; who, [Himself] sinless, hath borne our sins when He left the Father’s Heaven; whose Body being broken becometh our salvation, and [His] Blood and Spirit [our] life and holiness, and the water our cleansing; who giveth light to the hearts of those who fear Him, being with them in all things; who hath made us strangers to the whole way of the Devil; the Renewer of souls, in whom we all have put our trust.
He, being God, and before the worlds with the Father, eternal God, when He saw the world perishing in the bonds of sin, and trodden down by the power of a crafty wild beast, and made subject to death through ignorance and error, determining to heal the race of mankind, came to a Virgin womb, though hidden from all the camps of the heavenly ones, and cast into ignorance [the] opposing hosts. But when [He], the Incorruptible, clothed Himself with corruptible flesh, making flesh which was under death to be incorruptible, He thus showed in the flesh of dead Adam, wherewith He clothed Himself, an example of incorruptibility, by which example the things of corruption were abolished.
He delivered indeed Holy commandments through the Gospel, which is the fore-proclaiming of the Kingdom; by which Gospel as a figure of the Kingdom we learned to live; through which Gospel the bonds of the Devil have been cut, so that we may attain immortality instead of death, and instead of ignorance may receive [the grace] of watchfulness.
He, then, having become Man, who took [on Him] the dead race of Adam in all its kinds by emptying [Himself], He who is the First, came to birth, as Man, though He is God; He who was foreknown by the Prophets, and preached by the Apostles, and lauded by Angels, and glorified by the Father of all. He was crucified for us; and His Cross is our life, our strength, [our] salvation, for it is the Hidden Mystery, the ineffable joy, and through it the whole nature of mankind, always bearing it, is made inseparable from God, for it is the virtue benign and inseparable from God, that cannot be spoken as is meet by these lips, [and] that was hidden from the beginning; but now the Mystery which is revealed, which is for the faithful, shall be, not as it seemeth to be, but as it is.
This Cross in which we boast, so that we may be glorified, [and] the bearers whereof, the faithful and perfect, separate their souls from everything that can be felt, from everything that is seen, as from a thing which is not true — by this ask for yourselves, ye who quit you like men; make deaf your visible ears; make blind your bodily eyes; so that ye may know the will of Christ and all the Mystery of your salvation. Holy men and women, whose property it is to make your boast in the Lord, listen to the inward man.
Our Lord, when He taught us and appointed to us a covenant, and made us of [His] household, and came, after His passion, into Sheol, made captive all the earth — He who made the nature of death captive to life, and Death when it saw Him descending in His soul to Sheol, was deceived, and hoped that He was food for him, as was his custom. But when he saw in Him the beauty of the Godhead, he cried out with [his] voice, saying: Who is this that hath clothed Himself with Man who [was] under me, and hath conquered me? Who is this that snatcheth from destruction flesh which was bound by me? Who is this that hath clothed Himself with earth but [Himself] is Heaven? Who is this that was born in corruptibility, but suffereth no corruption? Who is this [that is] a stranger to my laws? Who is this that maketh captive those that are mine? Who is this that striveth with the power of burning Death, and conquereth darkness? What is this new glory which [is] in this vision that preventeth me from doing the things which I would? Who is this new dead One without sin? Who is this that by the abundance of light extinguisheth darkness, and doth not allow me to have rule over those that are mine, but draweth to Heaven the souls which were given unto me? What is this glory which preventeth the body from being corruptible? Who is this whom I cannot touch? What is this glory unsearchable to its surroundings? Woe is me! I am put to flight by Him and by those things which are His, for I cannot injure them.
He, being the Christ, who was crucified, by whom the [things] that were on the left hand were [placed] on the right hand, and those which were beneath [were] as those which [were] above, and those which [were] behind as those which [were] before, when He rose from the dead, and trod down Sheol, and by death slew Death; after He rose on the third day He gave thanks to the Father, saying: I give thanks to Thee, My Father, not with these lips which are fixed together, nor yet with a corporeal tongue through which truth and lying go out, nor with this created and material word; but I give thanks to Thee, the King, with that Voice which through Thee understandeth all [things], which cometh not by a bodily organ, which falleth not on carnal ears, which is not in the world and is not left on earth, but with this Voice, the Spirit who is in Us, only speaking to Thee, Father, loving Thee, praising Thee, through whom also the whole choir of perfect Saints calleth Thee beloved, [calleth] Thee Father,[calleth] Thee Sustainer, [calleth] Thee Helper; for Thou art all, and all [are] in Thee; for whatever is, is Thine and not another’s, but is Thine alone, who art forever and ever. Amen;
Let the shepherd know the Mysteries of all nature. After I have prayed to the Father, as ye know and see, I am taken up, saith Jesus.
Therefore it is right that the shepherd should speak the teaching of the Initiation into the Mysteries, so that they may know of whom in the Holy things they are partaking, and what memorial they are making through the Eucharist.
And at the end, after this, let him say thus:
As then we also have taken refuge in Him, and have learnt that it is in Him alone to give, let us beg from Him those things which He said that He would give us, which eye hath not seen and ear hath not heard, and [which] have not entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him, as Moses and some of the Saints have said. As then we have hoped in Him, let us give to Him praise; and to Him be glory and might forever and ever. Amen.
Let the people say: Amen.
After the people are taught the Initiation into the Mysteries, let the Eucharist be offered; but let not the Initiation into the Mysteries be said each time, but only at Pascha, on Saturday, and on the first day of the week, and on the days of the Epiphany and of Pentecost.
Of What Sort A Presbyter Ought To Be
Chapter 29
Let a Presbyter be ordained, being testified to by all the people, according to what has been said before; skilled in reading, meek, Poor, not money-loving, having laboured much in ministrations among the weak, proved to be pure, without blame; if he have been as a father to the Orphans, if he have ministered to the Poor; if he have not grown cold [in his love] for the Church; if in all things he be pious, quiet, so that being [thus] he may in all respects be worthy to have those things that are fitting and suitable revealed to him by God, and also may be counted worthy of the gift of healing.
Chapter 30
Then let the appointment of the Presbyter be thus. All the Priestly company conducting him, the Bishop laying his hand on his head, the Presbyters touching him and holding him, let the Bishop begin, and say thus:
Prayer Of Ordination Of A Presbyter
God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Ineffable One, the Light, who hast neither beginning nor ending, the Lord, who hast ordered all things, and set bounds to [them], and by reason hast defined the order of all things by Thee created; Hear us, and look upon this Thy servant, and make him partaker of, and grant unto him, the Spirit of grace and of reason and of strength, the Spirit of the Presbyterate who doth not grow old, and is indissoluble, homogeneous, loving the faithful, rebuking, that he may help and govern Thy people by labour, by fear, by a pure heart, by holiness, by excellency, by wisdom, and by the working of the Holy Spirit, through Thy care, Lord. In like manner as when Thou didst look upon Thy People, the Chosen, Thou didst command Moses to ask for the elders. and filling [them] with Thy Spirit didst bestow Him on Thy minister, so now, Lord, bestow on [this man] abundantly Thy Spirit, whom Thou didst give to those who by Thyself were made disciples, and to all those who through them truly believed in Thee. And make him worthy, being filled with Thy wisdom and Thy hidden Mysteries, to feed Thy people in holiness of heart: pure, and true; praising, blessing, lauding, giving thanks, offering a doxology always, day and night, to Thy Holy and glorious Name; labouring with cheerfulness and patience to be a vessel of Thy Holy Spirit; having and bearing always the Cross of Thy Only-begotten Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom [be] praise and might to Thee with the Holy Ghost forever and ever.
Let the people say: Amen.
Let both the Priests and people give him the Peace, with an Holy Kiss.
Chapter 31
After he is [ordained] let him be constant at the Altar, making prayers laboriously without ceasing. But sometimes alone in some house let him take a rest from the things which belong to the house of the Lord; but not ceasing, or diminishing [one] hour, from prayers.
Let him fast three days each [week] all the year, [on the] one [hand] that he may be perfected in intelligence; and moreover [let him fast] according to his strength, not wandering about and going hither and thither with every spirit, but doing everything with energy.
If it be revealed to a Presbyter or Bishop to speak, let him speak; but if not, let him not neglect and despise his work.
If it be revealed to a Presbyter to visit his parishes, and speak the word, let him go; but if not, let him entreat God with supplication; and if it be revealed to him to speak to them, let him speak to them, always taking the burden and load of Him who was crucified for him, and praying for all the people.
Let not a Presbyter or Bishop be anxious about food or raiment. God taketh thought and careth for His own in the [things] which He knoweth. But if, when he receiveth from anyone food or clothing, it be said to him that he should receive also from another, let it suffice him to receive from [the first] alone, and that [only] in so far as is fitting, and as he needeth, and not to excess.
In respect of firmness of faith, let a Presbyter always be unchangeable; for it is such as these that God desireth; and let him prove the heart of each one; lest evil kept and buried within, make him a stranger to the grace of God.
Let him not allow tares to grow in the good wheat, but let him take them away from it, and cut off, those who bring [them] into it. Let not darkness cover his light. Let him teach all the faithful at all times that they accomplish their course, as it were, in the day; because the children of light walk not in darkness. Let the teaching of the Presbyter be fitting, and quiet and moderate, coupled with fear and trembling; and that of the Bishop also in like manner. And in teaching let them not speak vain things; but let him say such things as the hearers when they hear may keep [in memory]. Let the Presbyter be mindful of all the things that he teacheth. For in the day of the Lord the Word, it will be demanded [of him] that he should testify to the people the things which he spake, so that those who did not hear may be reproved. For he must stand before the glory of God, speaking those things which he hath taught. Thus, then, let him teach, that he perish not. Let him pray for those who hear, that the Lord may give them understanding of the Spirit, of knowledge, of truth; and let him not vainly cast pearls before swine; but let him search out [those] who are worthy, those who have heard and have performed; lest if the Word have not brought forth fruit in them, but have perished, he himself should prove the cause of its perishing. Let him not give the Holy things to dogs. Let him discern the signs of those who hear the word and bring forth good fruits. But in all things let him, without anxiety, keep [the matter] for the Bishop.
Let him not neglect nor despise those who do good works through teaching. But let him watch for signs in them; [and] of those [signs appearing] in them let him judge spiritually by [their] sighs, weeping, earnest conversations, silence, sadness, patience, humble bowing of the head. But that which best traineth and causeth suffering is weeping and groaning. But the work [these do] is watching, continence, fasting, quietness, unceasing prayer, meditation, faith, meekness, philanthropy, labour, weariness, love, subjection, goodness, gravity, and every [work of] light.
[On the other hand], the signs of those who do not bring forth the fruits of life are [these] — sloth, love of pleasure, eyes wandering in all directions, disobedience, complaining, restlessness, a laziness that will not move, wandering about.
But the work [these do] is gluttony, debauchery, anger, unbelief, idle and unseasonable laughter, confusion, neglect, error, disturbance, wantonness, love of gains, love of money, envy, contention, drunkenness, high-mindedness, vain talking, love of praise, and every [work of] darkness.
Let him recognise products such as these, and let him speak to those who are worthy. But let him not waste time upon those who do not receive [his teaching]. For those who sow on earth without fruits shall reap miseries.
Let the Presbyter, as is right and fitting, go about to the houses of those who are sick with the Deacon, and visit them; let him consider and say to them those things that are fitting and proper, especially to the faithful. Let him exhort that the sick who are Poor be helped by the Church, so that they also who do [deeds] of kindness may enter into the joy of their Lord. Let him confirm those who have newly become Catechumens with prophetical and evangelical utterances, with the word of teaching. Let him not neglect his prayers, for he is the figure of the Archangels: but let him know that God did not spare the Angels who sinned.
Let him fast; and if it is proper, let him receive of the cup. Let wine suffice him, as much as, in his judgment, profiteth and helpeth him, lest that drink which was for [his] healing he receive to [his] loss. In sickness, let him eat herbs and fish, and also that he may have care for his work. In everything let the Priest be an example to the faithful of the work of holiness.
Let the Presbyter praise and give thanks in the same way as the Bishop.
Chapter 32
Let them say the daily hymn of praise in the Church, each of them at his own time, thus:
Daily Hymn Of Praise
The Priest: he grace of our Lord [be] with you all.
The people: And with thy spirit.
The Priest: Praise ye the Lord.
The people: It is meet and right.
The Priest: Thee, Father of incorruptibility. Deliverer of our souls, Confirmer of the thoughts, and Guardian of our hearts, who hast illumined our hearts and hast brought to an end the darkness of our intelligence, by the knowledge which is in Thee; who hast by the Cross of Thy Only-begotten brought back anew to incorruptibility the old man which was given over to corruption; who hast brought error to an end, and by Thy commandments hast made man to pass to immortality; who didst seek that which was lost, we [Thy] servants [and] also [Thy] people praise.
The people: “We praise Thee, and the rest.
The Priest: We praise Thee, Lord, whom continually the unceasing doxologies of the Archangels singing praise, and the hymns of praise of Glories, and chants of Dominions praise. We praise Thee, Lord, who didst send Thy Thought, Thy Word, Thy Wisdom, Thy Energy, [namely] Him who [is] of old, and was with Thee before the worlds, the uncreated Word of the Uncreated one, but appeared, incarnate, in the end of times, for the salvation of created man, Thy Beloved Son Jesus Christ, who made us free from the yoke of slavery. Therefore we also, as we are accustomed, [we] Thy servants, Lord [and] also [thy] people, praise Thee.
The people: We praise Thee, and the rest.
The Priest: We sing to Thee a triple hymn of praise from our hearts, Lord who givest life, to Thee who dost visit the souls of the Poor, and neglectest not the spirits of those who are afflicted, the Assister of those who are persecuted, the Helper of those who are tossed on the sea, the Deliverer of those who are buffeted, the Provider for those who are hungry, who takest vengeance for those who are wronged, the Lover of the faithful, the Companion of the Saints, the Habitation of the pure, the Dwelling-place of those who call on Thee in truth, the Protector of Widows, the Liberator of Orphans, who givest to Thy Church a right government, and hast founded in it love-feasts, ministrations, receptions of the faithful, the partaking of the Spirit, gifts of grace and powers. We praise Thee; we cease not always in our hearts picturing the image of Thy Kingdom in ourselves, for Thy sake [and] also [for the sake] of Thy Beloved Son Jesus Christ, by whom [be] praise and might to Thee with the Holy Ghost, forever and ever. Amen.
And let the people say: Amen.
But if also anyone saith prophetical words, let him say [them]; he hath a reward.
But at midnight let the sons of Priestly service, and those of the people who are more perfect, give praise by themselves. For also in that hour our Lord, rising, praised His Father.
See, Children of the light; he who believeth the words of the Lord, walketh as He walked in this world, that where He is, there he may be also.
Of Deacons
Chapter 33
The Deacon is appointed, chosen like the things which have before been spoken of. If he be of good conduct, if he be pure, if he have been chosen for purity and for abstinence from distractions; if not, yet [if he] be the husband of one wife, borne witness to by all the faithful, not entangled in the businesses of the world, not knowing a handicraft, without riches, without children. But if he be married or have children, let his children be taught to work piety and to be pure, so that they may be approved by the Church, according to the rule of the ministry. But let the Church take care for them, so that they may persevere in the law and in the work of the ministry.
Chapter 34
But let him accomplish in the Church those things which are right. Let [his] ministry be thus. First, let him do only those things which are commanded by the Bishop as for proclamation; and let him be the counsellor of the whole clergy, and the mystery of the Church; who ministereth to the sick, who ministereth to the strangers, who helpeth the Widows, who is the father of the Orphans, who goeth about all the houses of those that are in need, lest any be in affliction or sickness or misery. Let him go about in the houses of the Catechumens, so that he may confirm those who are doubting and teach those who are unlearned.
Let him clothe those men who have departed, adorning [them]; burying the strangers; guiding those who pass from their dwelling, or go into captivity. For the help of those who are in need let him notify the Church; let him not trouble the Bishop; but only on the first day of the week let him make mention about everything, so that he may know.
Let him be watchful at the hour of the assembly, going about in the Church, and let him see that no one be [there who is] proud, or a buffoon, or a spy, or one who speaketh idle [words]. Let him rebuke [such], every one seeing and hearing, and let him thrust out him whom he hath condemned to receive punishment, so that the others also may fear. And if [the offender] persuade him to permit him to partake, let him give him comfort. But if the man persist in his transgression or disorderliness, let him take [word] about him up to the Bishop, and let him be separated seven days, and then called; so that he be not taken captive. But if when he cometh he still continue and persist in his folly, let him be cut off until he, repenting truly, come to himself, beseeching [to be received back].
If he be in a city on the seashore, let him go quickly about the places on the seashore, lest there be anyone dead in the sea; let him clothe him and bury him. Similarly also let him search out the guest house, lest there be anyone who is staying in the place sick or in need or dead; and let him make [it] known to the Church, so that it may provide what is right for each one. Let him cause the palsied and infirm to bathe as is right, so that they may have a breathing space from their pains. Let him give through the Church to each one what is right.
In the Church let twelve Presbyters, seven Deacons, fourteen Sub-Deacons, thirteen Widows who sit in front, be known.
But of the Deacons let him who is considered among them to be most earnest, and best in governing, be chosen to be the receiver of strangers. Let him alway be in the place of the guest house which is in the Church, clothed in white garments, a stole only on his shoulder.
Chapter 35
Let him be in everything as the eye of the Church, with fear admonishing, so that he may be an example to the people of piety Let him admonish thus:
Admonition Of The Deacon [at the Beginning of the Eucharist]
Let us arise.
Let everyone know his place.
Let the Catechumens depart.
See [that] no one polluted, no one slothful [remain]. [Lift] up the eyes of your hearts. The Angels are looking on. See [that] he who trusteth not, withdraw. Let us beseech in concord. Let no fornicator, no wrathful man [remain]; if one who is a servant of evil be [here], let him withdraw. See, as children of the light, let us beg [and] beseech our Lord and our God and our Saviour Jesus Christ.
When the Presbyter or Bishop beginneth the prayer, let the people pray and kneel.
Then let the Deacon say thus:
For the peace which is from Heaven let us beseech, that the Lord in His mercy may give us peace.
For our faith let us beseech, that the Lord may grant unto us to keep truly unto the end the faith which is in Him.
For harmony and concord let us beseech, that the Lord may keep us together in concord of the Spirit.
For patience let us beseech, that the Lord may bestow [upon us] patience unto the end in all afflictions.
For the Apostles let us beseech, that the Lord may grant to us to please Him, as they also pleased Him, and may make us worthy of their inheritance.
For the Holy Prophets let us beseech, that the Lord may number us with them.
For the Holy confessors let us beseech, that the Lord God may grant us to fulfil [our course] with the same mind [as they].
For the Bishop let us beseech, that our Lord may grant him to us for length of days in faith, rightly dividing the word of truth, and standing at the head of the Church purely and without blame.
For the Presbyterate let us beseech, that the Lord may not take away from them the spirit of the Presbyterate, but bestow on them earnestness and piety until the end.
For the Deacons let us beseech, that the Lord may grant unto them to run a perfect course, and to perfect holiness, and that He may remember their work and their love.
For the Presbyteresses let us beseech, that the Lord may hear their supplications and keep their hearts perfectly in the grace of the Spirit and help their work.
For the Sub-Deacons, Readers, Deaconesses let us beseech, that the Lord may grant to them to receive a reward in patience.
For the faithful laymen let us beseech, that the Lord may grant unto them to keep the faith perfectly.
For the Catechumens let us beseech, that the Lord may grant unto them to be counted worthy of the laver of forgiveness, and may sanctify them with the Seal of Holiness.
For the Kingdom let us beseech, that the Lord may bestow upon it tranquillity.
For the exalted powers let us beseech, that the Lord may grant to them prudence and the fear of Him.
For all the world let us beseech, that the Lord may provide for each one such things as are meet.
For those who travel by sea, and those who go on journeys let us beseech, that the Lord may guide them with the right hand of mercy.
For those who are persecuted let us beseech, that the Lord may grant to them patience and knowledge, and may bestow on them also a completed labour.
For those who have fallen asleep from the Church let us beseech, that the Lord may bestow upon them a place of rest.
For those who have fallen let us beseech, that the Lord may not remember their follies unto them, but moderate [His] threats unto them.
And let us all also, who need prayer, beseech that the Lord may protect and keep us with the peaceful Spirit. Let us persuade and beseech the Lord, that He may receive our prayers.
After the Deacon commemorateth, let the Bishop make a sign with his hand.
Let the Deacon say:
Let us arise in the Holy Ghost, that, being made wise, we may grow in His grace, boasting in His Name; being built on the foundation of the Apostles, let us beg [and] beseech the Lord that, being persuaded, He may receive our prayers.
Then let the Bishop complete [the prayer]. And let the people say: Amen.
[End of Deacon’s Words in Eucharist]
Chapter 36
Let the Deacon be such as this, so that he may appear with fear and modesty and reverence. With regard to fervour of spirit, let him have a perfect manner of life. Let him observe and look at those who come into the House of the Sanctuary. Let him investigate who they are, so that he may know if they are lambs or wolves. And when he asketh, let him bring in him that is worthy, lest, if a spy enter, the liberty of the Church be searched out, and his sin be on his head.
If anyone come late to the [service of] praise, either when that of the dawn is being said or when the Offering is being offered, whoever he be, let him remain outside, and let not the Deacon bring him in — for it is a type of the day of judgment which is to come — lest by the noise of the entrance there be distraction to those who are praying. But when he cometh and findeth that the door is shut, let him not knock, because of what hath been said already.
But after the hymn of praise which is placed first is finished, let the faithful man or faithful woman enter. Let the Deacon say, either over the offering or, For the hymn of praise:
Let us beseech that the Lord may write our supplication in the book of life, and [that] God who [is] forever may remember us in His Holy habitations of light. For [this] brother who is late, let us beseech that the Lord may give him earnestness and labour, and turn away from him every bond of this world, and give him the will of affection and love and hope.
Similarly also for a sister or for a Deaconess, for those who are late or remain outside, let him admonish that all the people may beseech for them. For thus when a Deacon mentioneth and admonisheth about them, earnestness is strengthened and the bond of love is fulfilled, and the despiser and the slothful is disciplined.
Chapter 37
If any woman whatsoever suffer violence from a man, let the Deacon accurately investigate if she be faithful and have truly suffered violence; if he who treated her with violence was not her lover. And if she be accurately thus, and if she that suffered mourn about the violence that happened to her, let him take it up to the hearing of the Bishop, that she may be shewn to be in all things in communion with the Church. If he who treated her with violence be faithful, let not the Deacon bring him into the Church for partaking, even if he repent. But if he be a Catechumen and repent, let him be baptized and partake.
Let the Deacon catechise those who repent and bring them to the Presbyters or to the Bishop that they may be catechised and taught knowledge. But if [his] power suffice to accomplish perfectly the office of the diaconate, let him abide only in prayer; and let him consider supplication and meditation, love, the way, mourning, and [to have] fear before his eyes, as a work; and he shall be called a son of the light.
Chapter 38
Let the appointment of a Deacon be thus:
Let the Bishop alone lay a hand on him, because he is not appointed to the Priesthood, but for the service of attendance on the Bishop and the Church. Over the Deacon then, let the Bishop say thus:
Prayer Of Ordination Of A Deacon
God, who didst create all things, and didst adorn [them] by the Word; who dost rest in the pure ages; who didst minister to us eternal life by Thy Prophets; who didst enlighten us with the light of knowledge; God, who doest great things, and [art] the Maker of all glory , Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, whom Thou didst send to minister to Thy will, that all the race of mankind might be saved, and didst make known to us and didst reveal Thy Thought, Thy Wisdom, Thine Energy, Thy Beloved Son, Jesus Christ, the Lord of light, the Prince of Princes, and God of Gods; give the spirit of grace and earnestness to this Thy servant, that there may be given to him earnestness, quiet, strength, power to please Thee; give him, Lord, as a worker in the law without shame, kind, a lover of Orphans, a lover of the pious, a lover of Widows, fervent in spirit, a lover of good things; and enlighten, Lord, him whom Thou hast loved and chosen to minister to Thy Church, offering in holiness to Thy Holy place those things which are offered to Thee from the inheritance of Thy High Priesthood; so that ministering without blame and purely and holily and with a pure conscience, he may be counted worthy of this high and exalted office, by Thy good will, praising Thee continually through Thy Only-begotten Son Jesus Christ, our Lord, by whom [be] praise and might to Thee forever and ever.
The people: Amen.
Chapter 39
If [one] be borne witness to and confess that he was in bonds and in imprisonment and in afflictions for the Name of God, a hand is not therefore laid on him for the diaconate. Similarly not for the Presbyterate. For he hath the honour of the clergy, having been protected by the hand of God, by [his] confessorship. But if he be appointed Bishop, he is also counted worthy of laying on of the hand. And [even] if he be a Confessor who hath not been judged before the power, and hath not been buffeted in bonds, but only hath confessed, he is counted worthy of laying on of the hand. For he receiveth the prayer of the clergy. But let him not pray over him repeating all these words; but when the shepherd advanceth, he will receive the effect.
Of the Widows
Chapter 40
Let a Widow be appointed being chosen, if for a long time past she have abided without a husband; if though often pressed by men to be married, because of the faith she have not been married. But if not, it is not yet right that she should be chosen; but let her be proved for a time, if she be pious, if having children she have brought them up in holiness, if she have not taught them worldly wisdom, if she have made them examples of the Holy law and of the Church, if she have loved and honoured strangers, if she have been constant in prayers, if she have lived meekly, if she have cheerfully aided those who are afflicted, if it have been revealed to the Saints about her, if she have not neglected the Saints, if she have ministered with all her power, if she be fit to bear and endure the burden, being one who prayeth without ceasing, being perfect in all things, being fervent in spirit, having the eyes of her heart opened in everything, being always kind, loving innocency, not possessing anything in this world, but always taking and bearing about the Cross, crucifying all evil, by night and by day abiding by the Altar, working cheerfully and secretly. If she have one or two or three likeminded in my Name, I am among them. But let her be perfect in the Lord, as one who is visited by the Spirit.
Let her do the things which are made known to her with fear and earnestness. Let her instruct those women who do not obey; let her teach those [women] who have not learnt; let her convert those who are foolish; let her instruct them to be grave; let her prove the Deaconesses; let her make those who enter to know of what sort and who they are; also let her instruct them that they abide. To those who hear let her patiently counsel those things which are proper. To those who are disobedient after three instructions let her not speak. Let her love those who desire to be in Virginity or in purity; those who oppose themselves let her correct modestly and quietly. With everyone let her be peaceful. Let her privately shut the mouth of those who talk much and idly; but if they do not hear, let her take with her an aged woman, or let her take [it] up to the hearing of the Bishop. But in the Church let her be silent. In prayer let her be persistent. Let her visit those [women] who are sick; on each first day of the week let her take with her one Deacon or two and help them. If she have any possession let her give it for the Poor and the faithful. But if she have nothing, let her be helped by the Church. Let her do no secular work, as it were for a trial. But let her have these works of the Spirit; let her continue in prayers and fasts; let her ask for nothing deep; let her receive those things which the Lord giveth; let her not be anxious for [her] children; let her deliver them to the Church, so that they living in the house of God may be fit for the service of the Priesthood.
Her requests to God will be acceptable; they are the sacrifice and Altar of God. For those who have ministered well shall be praised by the Archangels. But as for them who are dissolute and raging and drunken, and babblers and curious and evil, that is, those who love pleasures much, the figures of their souls, which stand before the Father of light, perish and are carried to darkness to dwell. For their deeds which are visible, going up before the most High, drag them easily to the pit, so that after this world is changed and passeth away the figures of their souls may stand against them as witnesses, not allowing them to look up. For the figure and type of every soul standeth before God from the foundation of the world.
Therefore let her be chosen who can go to meet the Holy Phials.
Of them are the twelve Presbyters who praise My Father who is in Heaven. These who receive the prayers of every holy soul, offer [them] to the most High [as] a sweet savour.
Chapter 41
Let the appointment be thus. As she prayeth at the entrance of the Altar, and looketh down, let the Bishop say quietly, so that the Priests may hear, thus:
Prayer Of The Institution Of Widows Who Sit In Front
God, the Holy One, the Most High, who seest the [things] that are humble, who hast chosen the weak and the mighty; the Honoured One who hast created also those [things] which are despised; give, Lord, the spirit of power to this Thine handmaid, and strengthen her with Thy truth, so that doing Thy commandment and serving in the House of Thy Sanctuary, she may be an honoured vessel unto Thee, and may glorify [Thee] in the day when Thou wilt glorify Thy Poor, Lord. And grant to her power cheerfully to accomplish Thy teachings which Thou hast determined for a rule for Thine handmaid. Grant to her, Lord, the spirit of meekness and of power and of patience and of kindness, so that, bearing with ineffable joy Thy burden, she may endure labour. Yea, Lord God, who knowest our weakness, perfect Thine handmaid for the praise of Thine house; strengthen her for edification and a good example, sanctify [her], make [her] wise; comfort [her] God; for blessed and glorious is Thy Kingdom, God the Father. And to Thee [be] praise, and to Thine Only-begotten Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the Holy Ghost [who is] good and adorable and the Maker of life, and of equal essence with Thee, now and before all the worlds and for the ages and forever and ever.
The people: Amen.
Chapter 42
After she is [appointed] thus, let her not be anxious about anything, but let her remain solitary and having leisure for supplications of piety. For the foundation of holiness and life for a Widow such as this is solitude. For she hath loved none other but the God of Gods, the Father which is in Heaven. But at fixed times let her give praise by herself, in the night [and] at dawn. If she be menstruous let her abide in the Temple and not approach the Altar, not that she is as it were polluted, but that the Altar may have honour. Afterwards, when she fasteth and batheth, let her be assiduous [at the Altar]. In the days of Pentecost, let her not fast. In the feast of Pascha, let her give of those things which she hath to the Poor, and let her bathe, and so let her pray. But when she giveth thanks or praise, if she have friends like-minded, Virgins, it is well that they pray with her for the sake of the Amen. But if not, [let her pray] alone by herself, both in the Church and in the house, especially at midnight.
The times in which she should give praise are: Saturday, the first day of the week, either Pascha or Epiphany or Pentecost. At other time[s] let her give thanks meekly with Psalms, with hymns of praise, with meditations; and thus let her labour. For the Most High will sanctify them and will forgive all [their] sins, those which were before written against them, and their error; My Father, the Heavenly One, shall strengthen them and enlighten their faces as the faces of My Sanctuaries; they shall shine in My glory in the day of recompense.
Chapter 43
Let her hymns of praise be said thus quietly:
Night Hymn Of Praise Of Widows
Holy, Holy, without spot, who hast Thy dwelling in the light, God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, God of Enoch and David, of Elijah, of Elisha, of Moses, of Joshua, and of the Prophets and of the others who in truth preached Thy Name, God of the Apostles, the God who hast guided all things by Thy reason and hast blest them who lovingly trust in Thee; my soul praiseth Thee with the power of the spirit of my power, my heart praiseth Thee, O Lord, and Thy might, always. Let all my power praise Thee, Lord, for if Thou wilt, I am Thine, God, the God of the Poor; for Thou art the Helper of them that lack, and Thou art He that looketh on the meek, and the Assister of the weak; assist me, O Lord, because by Thy grace Thou wast well pleased in me that I should be Thine handmaid, for Thou hast bestowed upon me a great name, that I should be called a Christian. Thou who hast freed me from servitude that I may serve a servitude to God, the Mighty One who [art] forever, who seest all, that I may praise Thee uncondemned. Yea, Lord God, confirm my heart in Thee until it is perfected in the Holy Ghost. Rejuvenate us for the edification of Thy Holy Church, Son and Word and Thought of the Father, the Christ who camest for the salvation of the race of man, who didst suffer and wast buried, and didst rise, [and] also wast glorified by Him who sent Thee, turn, help, Lord, set upright our thoughts by the strong faith of the Spirit. Glorify Thy Name in us. For in Thy Father and in Thee and in the Holy Ghost is our hope forever and ever.
With those who are with her let her say: Amen.
But let her say the hymn of praise at dawn thus:
Hymns Of Praise At Dawn Of Widows Who Sit In Front
Eternal God, Guide of our souls. Maker of light, Treasure of life, who restest in the praises and prayers of the Holy ones; Lover of compassion, merciful, kind. King of all, and God, our Lord, my spirit praiseth [Thee], sending [up] to Thee the unceasing voices of Thine handmaid, Lord, who beseecheth Thee that Thou mayest perfect in Thine handmaid the spirit of reason and of piety and of right knowledge. I praise Thee, Lord, who didst take away from our poverty all disturbance and confusion (?), wrath and all contention and evil habit, who didst prepare [and] change the feelings of my understanding that I might serve Thee only, God; who hast adorned Thy Holy Church with various ministries, who drivest away from Thine handmaid all doubtfulness, fear, weakness; and boldest the thoughts of those who rightly serve Thee; I praise Thee, God, who hast enlightened me with the light of Thy knowledge, through Thine Only-begotten Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom [be] praise and might to Thee forever and ever. Amen.
And with those who are with her let her say: Amen.
Of Sub-Deacons
Chapter 44
Similarly let a Sub-Deacon be appointed who is chaste, the Bishop praying over him. Let the Bishop say over him on the first day of the week, in the hearing of all the people, thus:
Thou, N., Minister and hear the Gospel in the fear of God. Cultivate holily the knowledge of thy soul; keep pureness; discipline thyself; observe and obey and hear meekly; neglect not prayers and fasts, so that the Lord may give thee rest and make thee worthy of a higher degree.
And let all the Priests say: So be it, so be it, so be it.
Of The Reader
Chapter 45
A Reader is instituted [who is] pure, quiet, meek, wise, with much experience, learned and of much learning, with a good memory, vigilant, so that he may deserve a higher degree. First let the book be given him in the sight of the people, on the first day of the week. But a hand is not laid on him. But he heareth from the Bishop [the following]:
Thou, N., whom Christ hath called to be a minister of His words, be careful, and strive that thou mayest appear approved both in this rule and in a higher degree, even by our Lord Jesus Christ; so that He in His everlasting habitations may pay thee a good reward for these things.
And let the Priests say: So be it, so be it, so be it.
Of Male And Female Virgins
Chapter 46
A male or female Virgin is not instituted or appointed by man, but is voluntarily separated and named [a Virgin].But a hand is not laid on him, as for Virginity. For this division is of [their] own free will. But it is right for Virgins that they be fixed and bound in the suffering of a sound body, that they be constant in fasts and in prayers, in weeping and in mourning daily; but that they always expect a departure from the flesh, and strive as at the departure. Let them not serve raging or debauchery or drunkenness or vain talking, or [be engaged] in worldly work or in distraction, but they are as one who is on the Cross; let their hearts be [lifted] up, with all meekness of thought and comeliness, with meditation on the Holy Scriptures, with faithful thoughts, with kind consolations, so that when they pray they may be answered concerning those things which they ask for the faithful who wish to provide for them. Let them not despise [these things (?)], so that through them also a portion of life may be divided to those. Let them be confirmed in love and kindness and in true and perfect grace. Let them be constant in consolation, consoling their neighbours, catechising and teaching those who have lately been made faithful, in understanding and in knowledge and in kindness, inciting those who are very young, being examples of holiness among them in all good things. Similarly also let the females do. But in order and in grace and in knowledge let them speak and work, that they may truly be the salt of the earth as it is called. But let females who are Virgins have their heads covered in the Church, and let them hide only their hair; but let them be counted worthy of honour from everyone, in order that the rest [of the women] who desire, may emulate them.
Of A Gift
Chapter 47
If anyone appear in the people to have a gift of healing or of knowledge or of tongues, a hand is not laid on him, for the work is manifest. But let them have honour.
The First Book of Clement is ended
The Second Book Of Clement
Of Laymen Thus:
Chapter 1
Let those who first come to hear the Word, before they enter among all the people, first come to teachers at home, and let them be examined as to all the cause [of their coming] with all accuracy, so that their teachers may know for what they have come, or with what will. And if they have come with a good will and love, let them be diligently taught. But let those who bring them be such as are well on in years, faithful who are known by the Church; and let them bear witness about them, if they are able to hear [the word]. Also let their life and conversation be asked about: if they be not contentious, if quiet, if meek, not speaking vain things or despisers or foul speakers, or buffoons or leaders astray, or ridicule mongers.
Also if any of them have a wife or not; and if of his own free will he have not [a wife], let him be instructed carefully and diligently and persuaded with all kindness to amend his failings. And let the Bishop provide for him in the Lord with prophetical instructions which lead him to purity; and if he maketh progress, also with Apostolic doctrines and then with Gospel [doctrines] and with the perfect word of doctrine; and if he be worthy, let him be baptized. And if thus he be worthy of the hidden things, let him hear [them] by himself, and also make progress in that which is hidden.
Let there be no obstacle at all to him who desireth to marry, so that he be not caught by the Evil One with fornication. But let him marry a Christian, a faithful [woman] of the race of the Christians, who is able to keep her husband in the faith; at the bidding of the Bishop, he thus providing for him.
And also let him who cometh be asked if he be a slave or free; and if the slave of one who is faithful, and if also his master permit him, let him hear. But if his master be not faithful and do not permit him, let him be persuaded to permit him. And if [his master] say truly about him that he wisheth to become a Christian because he hateth his masters, let him be cast out. But if no cause be shewn of hatred of servitude, but [if] he [really] wish to be a Christian, let him hear. But if his master be faithful and do not bear witness to him, let him be cast out. Similarly if [a woman] be the wife of a man, let the woman be taught to please her husband in the fear of God. But if both of them desire to serve purity in piety, they have a reward. Let him who is unmarried not commit fornication, but let him marry in the law. But if he desire to persevere thus, let him abide in the Lord.
If anyone be tormented with a devil, let him not hear the Word from a teacher until he be cleansed. For the intelligence, when consumed with a material spirit, doth not receive the immaterial and Holy Word. But if he be cleansed, let him be instructed in the Word.
Chapter 2
If a fornicatress, or brothel keeper, or a drunkard, or a maker of idols, or a painter, or one engaged in shows, or a charioteer, or a wrestler, or one who goeth to the contest or a combatant [in the games], or one who teacheth wrestling, or a public huntsman, or a Priest of idols, or a keeper of them, be [among those that come], let him not be received.
If any such desire to become faithful, let him cease from these [things]; and being in deed faithful, and being baptized, let him be received and let him partake. And if he do not cease, let him be rejected.
If anyone be a teacher of boys in worldly wisdom, it is well if he cease. But if he have no other craft by which to live, let him be excused. If anyone be a soldier or in authority, let him be taught not to oppress or to kill or to rob, or to be angry or to rage and afflict anyone. But let those rations suffice him which are given to him. But if they wish to be baptized in the Lord, let them cease from military service or from the [post of] authority, and if not let them not be received.
Let a Catechumen or a believer of the people, if he desire to be a soldier, either cease from his intention, or if not let him be rejected. For he hath despised God by his thought, and leaving the things of the Spirit, he hath perfected himself in the flesh, and hath treated the faith with contempt.
If a fornicatress or a dissolute man or a drunkard do not [these things], and desire, believing, to become Catechumens, they may [be admitted]. And if they make progress, let them be baptized; but if not let them be rejected.
If a concubine of a man be a servant, and desire to be faithful, if she educate those who are born [of her] and she separate from her master, or be joined to him alone in marriage, let her hear; and being baptized let her partake in the Offering, but if not let her be rejected.
He who doeth things which may not be spoken of, or a diviner or a magician or a necromancer , these are defiled and do not come to judgment. Let a charmer, or an astrologer, or an interpreter of dreams, or a sorcerer, or one who gathereth together the people, or a star-gazer, or a diviner by idols, either cease, and when he ceaseth let him be exorcised and baptized; or if not let him be rejected.
If a man have a concubine, let him divorce her and marry in the law and hear the word of instruction.
[Of Catechumens and Baptism]
Let him who is instructed with all care and heareth the perfectness of the Gospel, be instructed not less than three years, and if he, loving, strive to be baptized, let him [then] be baptized.
But if he be quiet and meek and earnest, and persevering and abiding with him who teacheth him, with labour, with watching, with confession, with subjection, and with prayers, and [if] he desire to be baptized sooner, let him be baptized. For it is not the time that is considered, but the will of faith.
Chapter 4
Let those who are instructed, after the teacher ceaseth, pray apart from the faithful and go out, so that the faithful may learn, when the Presbyter or Deacon readeth the New [Testament] or Gospels.
Let the faithful women stand in the Church by themselves and the female Catechumens by themselves apart from the faithful [women]. But all the [women] apart from the men; the girls also apart, each according to her order.
The men on the right and the women on the left; the faithful Virgins first, and the [women] who are being instructed to Virginity behind them.
After the prayer let the female Catechumens give the Peace to one another; also men to men; also women to women.
Let every woman cover her head with her hair also. Let the women becomingly and decorously show their modesty in their adornment, and let them not be adorned with plaited hair or with [precious] stones, lest the young men who are in the Church be caught, but with modesty and knowledge. But if not, let them be instructed by the Widows who sit in front.
But if they rebelliously resist, let the Bishop reprove them.
Chapter 5
After the Catechumens pray, let the Bishop or Presbyter, laying on them a hand, say the prayer of the laying on of the hand of Catechumens:
Prayer Of Catechumens
God, who dost send thunderings and preparest lightnings; who hast founded the Heaven and established the earth, and enlightenest the faithful and convertest them that err; who hast quickened those who were dead and hast given hope to those who [were] without hope, and hast freed the universe from error by the coming down of Thy Only-begotten Son Jesus Christ; hear us, Lord, and give to these souls intelligence, perfectness, undoubting faith, knowledge of the truth, that they may be in a degree higher than this, through the Holy Name of Thee and of Thy Beloved Son Jesus, our Lord, through whom [be] praise and might to Thee with the Holy Ghost, both now and always and forever and ever. Amen.
After this let them be dismissed.
If anyone, being a Catechumen, be apprehended for My Name and be judged with tortures, and hasten and press forward to receive the laver, let not the shepherd hesitate, but let him give [it] to him. But if he suffer violence and be killed, not having received the laver, let him not be anxious. For, having been baptized in his own blood, [he is] justified.
Chapter 6
But if they are severally chosen to receive the laver, let them be proved and investigated first, how they have lived while Catechumens; if they have honoured Widows, if they have visited the sick, if they have walked in all meekness and love, if they were earnest in good works. But let them be borne witness to by those who bring them.
And when they hear the Gospel, let a hand be laid on them daily.
Let them be exorcised from that day when they are chosen. And let them be baptized in the days of Pascha. And when the days approach, let the Bishop exorcise each one of them separately by himself, so that he may be persuaded that he is pure. For if there be one that is not pure, or in whom is an unclean spirit, let him be reproved by that unclean spirit.
If then anyone is found under any such imagination, let him be removed from the midst [of them], and let him be reproved and reproached that he hath not heard the word of the commandments and of instruction faithfully, because the evil and strange spirit abided in him.
Let those who are about to receive the laver be taught on the fifth day of the last week only, to wash and bathe their heads. But if any woman then be in the customary flux, let her also take in addition another day, washing and bathing beforehand.
Let them fast both [on] the Friday and [on] the Saturday.
Chapter 7
On the Saturday let the Bishop assemble them who receive the laver, and let him bid them to kneel while the Deacon proclaimeth. And when there is silence let him exorcise [them], laying a hand on them, and saying:
Exorcism Before The Laver
God of Heaven, God of the lights, God of the Archangels who are under Thy power, God of the Angels who are under Thy might, King of Glories and of Dominions, God of Saints, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ; who hast loosed the souls that were bound by death; who hast enlightened him that was bound in darkness and fixed firm, by the firm-fixing of the suffering of Thy Only-begotten; who hast loosed our cords and hast loosed every weight from [off] us; who hast repelled from us every attack of the Evil One; Son and Word of God, who hast made us immortal by Thy death; who hast glorified us with Thy glory; who hast loosed all the bands of our sins by Thy passion; who hast borne the curse of our sins by Thy Cross, and by Thy resurrection hast taught [mankind] to pass from [being] sons of men to become Gods; who hast taken on Thee our humiliation; who hast trodden the way to Heaven for us; who hast changed us from corruption to incorruptibility; hear me, Lord, who cry to Thee in pain and fear, Lord God, and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, before Him before whom stand the Holy Hosts of Archangels and of Cherubim and Armies without number, of Princes and of Seraphim; whose Veil [is] the light, and before whose face [is] fire; the throne of whose glory is ineffable; the habitations of whose delights, which Thou hast prepared for Thy Saints, are ineffable, the Raiments and Treasures of which are visible to Thee alone and to Thy Holy Angels; before whom all things tremble, giving praise; whose glance measureth the mountains, and whose Name, when uttered, cleaveth the depths; whom the Heavens which are shut up by Thy hand, hide from view; before whom the earth and the depths together tremble; before whom the sea and the dragons that [are] in it quake; of whom the wild beasts, trembling, stand in awe; through whom the mountains and the firmament of the earth melt with fear: at whose power the tempest of the winter quaketh and trembleth, and the raging whirlwind keepeth its limits; because of whom the fire of vengeance doth not overpass that which hath been prescribed to it, but abideth when reproved by Thy commandment; because of whom the whole creation travaileth, groaning with groans, being bidden to tarry till its time; from whom all nature and creation that opposeth itself fleeth; because of whom the whole army of the adversary is subdued, and the Devil is fallen, and the serpent is trodden down, and .the dragon is killed; because of whom the nations which have confessed Thee are enlightened and strengthened in Thee, Lord; because of whom life is revealed and hope confirmed, and faith strengthened and the Gospel preached; because of whom corruption is brought to naught and incorruptibility waxeth strong; through whom man was fashioned from the earth, but having believed in Thee he is no longer earth; Lord God Almighty, I exorcise these in the Name of Thee and of Thy Beloved Son Jesus Christ.
Drive away from the souls of these Thy servants every disease and illness, and every stumbling block and all unbelief, all doubt and all contempt, every unclean spirit that worketh, that is a witch, that killeth, that is under the earth, that is fiery, dark, evil-smelling, given to witchcraft, lascivious, loving gold, uplifted, money-loving, wrathful.
Yea, Lord God, overthrow from these Thy servants who have been named in Thee the weapons of the Devil, all magic, witchcraft, fear of idols, divination, astrology , necromancy, observation of the stars, astronomy, pleasure of the passions, love of disgraceful things, sadness, love of money, drunkenness, fornication, adultery, lasciviousness, contumacy, contentiousness, wrath, confusion, wickedness, evil suspicion.
Yea, Lord God, hear me, and breathe on these Thy servants the spirit of tranquillity, that, being guarded by Thee, they may bring forth in Thee fruits of faith, of virtue, of wisdom, of purity, of self-discipline, of patience, of hope, of concord, of modesty, of praise. For by Thee they have been called as servants, in the Name of Jesus Christ, being baptized in the Trinity, in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost, the Angels, Glories, Dominions, all the Heavenly Army being witnesses. Lord, the real essence of our life and theirs, guard their hearts, God, for Thou art mighty and glorious forever and ever.
And let all the people, also the Priests, say: Amen, So be it, so be it, so be it.
If anyone be in the endurance of anything, rise suddenly while the Bishop is saying [these words], and weep or cry out, or foam [at the mouth] or gnash with his teeth, or stare or be much uplifted or altogether run away, being quickly carried off, let such an one be put aside by the Deacons, so that there be no disturbance while the Bishop is speaking, and let such an one be exorcised by the Priests until he be cleansed, and so let him be baptized.
After the Priest exorciseth those who have drawn near, or him who is found unclean, let the Priest breathe on them and seal them between their eyes, on the nose, on the heart, on the ears; and so let him raise them up.
Chapter 8
In the forty days of Pascha, let the people abide in the Temple, keeping vigil and praying, hearing the Scriptures and hymns of praise and the books of doctrine.
But on the last Saturday let them rise early in the night, and when the Catechumens are being exorcised till the Saturday midnight. Let those who are about to be baptized not bring anything else with them except one loaf for the Eucharist.
But let them be baptized thus. When they come to the water, let the water be pure and flowing. First the babes, then the men, then the women.
But if anyone desire to approach as it were to Virginity, let him first be baptized by the hand of the Bishop.
Let the women, when they are baptized, loose their hair. Let all the boys who can answer in baptism make the responses and answer after the Priest. But if they cannot, let their parents make the responses for them, or someone of their households.
But when they who are being baptized go down [to the water], after they make the responses and say [the answers], let the Bishop see if there be any of them — either a man having a ring of gold, or a woman having on her gold; for no one should have with him any strange thing in the water, but let him deliver it to those who are near him.
But when they are about to receive the oil for anointing, let the Bishop pray over it and give thanks, and let him exorcise another [oil] with an exorcism, the same as in the case of Catechumens. And let the Deacon hear that which is exorcised, and let the Presbyter stand by him. Let him then who standeth by that [oil] on which a giving of thanks over the oil [is said] be on the right hand; but him who standeth by that which is exorcised, on the left.
And when he taketh hold of each one, let him ask — he that is being baptized turning to the West — and let him say: Say,
I renounce thee, Satan, and all thy service, and thy shows, and thy pleasures, and all thy works.
And when he hath said these things and confessed, let him be anointed with that oil which was exorcised, he who anointeth him saying thus:
I anoint [thee] with this oil of exorcism for a deliverance from every evil and unclean spirit, and for a deliverance from every evil.
And also, turning him to the East, let him say: [Say,]
I submit to Thee, Father and Son and Holy Ghost, before whom all nature trembleth and is moved. Grant me to do all Thy will without blame.
Then after these things let him give him over to the Presbyter who baptizeth. And let them stand in the water naked.
But let the Deacon descend with him similarly. But when he who is being baptized goeth down into the water, let him that baptizeth him say, putting his hand on him, thus:
Dost thou believe in God the Father Almighty?
Let him that is being baptized say: I believe.
Let him immediately baptize him once.
Let the Priest also say:
Dost thou believe also in Christ Jesus the Son of God, who came from the Father, who is of old with the Father, who was born of Mary the Virgin by the Holy Ghost, who was crucified in the days of Pontius Pilate, and died and rose the third day, [who] came to life from the dead, and ascended into Heaven and sat down on the right hand of the Father, and cometh to judge the quick and the dead?
But when he saith: I believe, let him baptize him the second time.
And also let him say:
Dost thou believe also in the Holy Ghost, in the Holy Church?
And let him who is being baptized say: I believe;
And thus let him baptize him the third time.
Then when he cometh up let him be anointed by the Presbyter with oil over which the giving of thanks has been said, [the Presbyter] saying over him: I anoint thee with oil in the Name of Jesus Christ. But let women be anointed by Widows who sit in front, the Presbyter saying over them [the words]. And let those Widows in baptism also beneath a Veil receive them by a Veil, the Bishop saying those Confessions, and so those whom they cause them to renounce.
Chapter 9
Then let them be together in the Church, and let the Bishop lay a hand on them after baptism, saying and invoking over them thus:
Invocation Of The Holy Ghost
Lord God, who by Thy Beloved Son Jesus Christ didst fill Thy Holy Apostles with the Holy Ghost, and by the Spirit didst permit Thy blessed Prophets to speak; who didst count these Thy servants worthy to be counted worthy in Thy Christ of forgiveness of sins through the laver of the second birth, and hast cleansed them of all the mist of error and darkness of unbelief; make them worthy to be filled with Thy Holy Spirit, by Thy love of man, bestowing upon them Thy grace, so that they may serve Thee according to Thy will, truly, God, and may do Thy commandments in holiness, and cultivating always those things which are of Thy will, may enter into Thine eternal Tabernacles, through Thee and through Thy Beloved Son Jesus Christ, by whom [be] to Thee praise and might with the Holy Ghost forever and ever.
Similarly, pouring the oil, placing a hand on his head, let him say:
Anointing I anoint [thee] in God Almighty, and in Jesus Christ and in the Holy Ghost, that thou mayest be His soldier, having a perfect faith, and a vessel pleasing to Him.
And sealing him on his forehead, let him give him the Peace, and say:
The Lord God of the meek be with thee. And let him who has been sealed answer and say: And with thy spirit.
And so each one severally.
[On the First Eucharist After Baptism]
Chapter 10
Thenceforward let them pray together with all the people.
Let the oblation be offered by the Deacon. And so let the shepherd give thanks. But the bread is offered for a type of My body. Let the cup be mixed with wine, — mixed with wine and water, for it is a sign of blood and of the laver; so that also the inner man, that is to say, that which is of the soul, may be counted worthy of those things which are like [them], that is to say, those things of the body also. And let all the people, according to what hath been said before, receive with Amen of the Eucharist which is offered.
Let the Deacons hover over [them], as hath before been said.
Let him who giveth [the sacrament] say:
The Body of Jesus Christ, the Holy Ghost, for the healing of soul and body.
And let him who receiveth say: Amen.
He who spilleth of the cup gathereth up judgment to himself. Similarly also he who seeth and is silent and doth not reprove him, whoever he may be. Let those who take the Offering be exhorted by the Priests to be careful to do good works, to love strangers, to abound in fasting, and in every good work to engage in servitude. And let them be taught also about the resurrection of the body; before anyone receiveth baptism let no one know the word about the resurrection, for this is the new decree, which hath a new name that none knoweth but he who receiveth [it].
Note: Rev. 2:17; Entire Verse in KJV: He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the Churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth [it].
The Deacon doth not give the Offering to a Presbyter. Let him open the dish or paten, and let the Presbyter receive.
Let the Deacon give [the Eucharist] to the people in their hands. Let the Deacon, when the Presbyter is not present, of necessity baptize.
[Worship, Firstfruits and Offerings]
Chapter 11
If anyone receive any service to carry to a Widow or Poor woman or anyone constantly engaged in a Church work, let him give it the same day; and if not, on the morrow, let him add something to it from his own [property] and so give it. For the bread of the Poor hath been kept back in his possession. But in the last week of Pascha, on the fifth day of the week, let the bread and the cup be offered. And he who suffered for that which he hath offered, he [it is] who draweth near.
Let the lamp be offered in the Temple by the Deacon, saying: The grace of our Lord [be] with you all.
And let all the people say: And with Thy spirit.
And let the little boys say spiritual Psalms and hymns of praise by the light of the lamp. Let all the people respond Hallelujah to the psalm and to the chant sung together, with one accord, with voices in harmony; and let no one kneel until he who speaketh cease. Similarly also when a lection is read or the word of doctrine is spoken. If then the Name of the Lord be spoken, and the rest, as hath sufficiently been made known, let no one bow, having come creeping in.
Chapter 12
Let the end of Pascha be after the Saturday, at midnight.
[At] Pentecost let no one fast or kneel. For these are days of rest and joy.
Let those who bear the burdens of labour refresh themselves a little in the days of Pentecost, and on every first day of the week.
Let the Bishop, before he offereth the Offering, say what is fitting for the Offering, while those who are clothed in white receive from one another and say [to one another] Hallelujah.
Chapter 13
In the supper or feast, let those who have come together receive [a portion] thus from the shepherd, as for a blessing. But let not a Catechumen receive.
If anyone be of the household of, or related to, one who is a teacher of heathenism, let him not accord with him and give praise with him, also let him not eat with him because of relationship or for concord, lest he deliver ineffable things to a wolf and he receive judgment.
Let those who are called with the Bishop to the house of one who is faithful, eat with gravity and knowledge, not with drunkenness or to debauchery, and not so that he who is present may laugh, or so as to annoy the household of him that called him; but so let them enter that he who called [them] may pray that the Saints may enter into his house. For ye are the salt of the earth, [as] ye have heard.
Because when they eat, let them eat abundantly, [but] so that there may be left over both for you [and] also for those to whom he that called you wisheth [to] send, so that he may have them as foods left over by the Saints, and that he may rejoice at that which remaineth over.
Let those who come to a feast, being called, not stretch out a hand before them that are elder. But let the last eat when the first shall have done.
Let not those who eat strive in speech, but let them eat in silence; but if anyone desire, or the Bishop or Presbyter ask [a question], let him return answer.
But when the Bishop saith a word, let everyone quietly, praising [him], choose silence for himself, until he also be asked [a question].
Chapter 14
If anyone bring forward fruits or the first produce of crops as first fruits, let him offer [them] to the Bishop.
Chapter 15
If anyone depart from the world, either a faithful man or a faithful woman, having children, let them give their possessions to the Church, so that the Church may provide for their children, and [that] from the things which they have the Poor may be given rest, that God may give mercy to their children and rest to those who have left [them] behind. But if a man have no children, let him have not much possessions, but let him give much of his possessions to the Poor and to the prisoners, and only keep what is right and sufficient for him[self]. If a man have children, and he desire to discipline himself in Virginity, let him give all his possessions to the Poor, and discipline himself and abide in the Church, being constant in prayers and thanksgivings.
Chapter 16
The fruits which are offered to the Bishop let him bless thus:
God, we give thanks to Thee always, and also in this day when we offer to Thee the first fruits of the fruits which Thou hast given us for food, having ripened them by Thy power and by Thy Word, having commanded from the beginning of the creation of the worlds that the earth should bring forth different fruits for the joy and delight of man and of all beasts. We praise Thee, Lord, for all these things with which Thou hast benefited us, adorning for us all the earth with various fruits. Bless also this Thy servant N., and receive his earnestness and his love, through Thine Only-begotten Son Jesus Christ, through whom [be] praise and honour and might to Thee with the Holy Ghost forever and ever. Amen.
Vegetables are not blessed, but fruits of trees, flowers, and the rose and the lily.
Chapter 17
Of All The Faithful Who Receive And Eat
Let them give and return thanks and not eat with offence or scandal. Let no one taste that which is strangled or sacrificed to idols.
Chapter 18
On the days of Pascha, especially in the last days, on Friday and on Saturday, by night and by day, let the prayers be according to the number of the hymns of praise. But let the word be interpreted at length, and let the lections [be] various and continuous. And let the vigils and anticipations of the night be in good order.
Chapter 19
Let the Readers assist them; and Similarly also the Sub-Deacons. Let them not allow them to sleep. For that night is a figure of the Kingdom, and especially that of the Saturday.
Those who labour and work, let them work till midnight.
Let the Catechumens first be dismissed, having received blessings from the bread which is broken. When the faithful are dismissed, let them go in order and knowledge to their houses. In their feasts let them not forget the prayers.
Let the Priests not abbreviate their ministrations.
Let the women go, each one cleaving to her husband.
Let the Widows stay till dawn in the Temple, having food there.
Let the Virgins abide together in the Temple, and let the Bishop help and provide for them, and let the Deacons minister to them.
Let the Presbyteresses stay with the Bishop till dawn, praying and resting.
Similarly also those who were lately baptized.
Let Virgins who are ready for marriage go, cleaving to their mothers. This is thus fitting.
Chapter 20
Let the Bishop command that they proclaim that no one taste anything until the Offering is completed. And the whole body of the Church shall receive a new food. Then in the evening let those who are to be baptized be baptized, after one lection.
But if anyone before he approacheth and receiveth of the Eucharist eat something else, he sinneth and his fast is not reckoned to him.
When the Catechumens are dismissed, let a hand be laid on them.
If a faithful because of sickness remain [away], let the Deacon carry the Offering to him.
If anyone be a Presbyter who cannot come, let a Presbyter carry [it] to him.
Similarly if a woman be pregnant [and] sick, and cannot fast these two days, let her fast that one day, taking on the first [day] bread and water. And if she cannot come, let a Deaconess carry [the Offering] to her.
Chapter 21
Let them take [it] up to the hearing of the Bishop, so that if it seem good to the Bishop he may visit them; for the sick [man] is much comforted when the High Priest remembereth him, and especially when he is faithful.
Chapter 22
In answer to him who singeth the Psalms in the Church, let the Virgins and boys respond and sing. But if they sing the Psalms in a house privately, if they be two or three, let them respond to one another, singing the Psalms.
Similarly the men.
Chapter 23
If a Poor man die, let those who provide for each one, provide for his clothing. If anyone who is a stranger die and he have no place to be buried, let those who have a place give [it]. But if the Church hath [a place] let it give [it]. And if he have no covering, let the Church similarly give it. But if he has not grave clothes, let him be shrouded.
But if a man be found to have possessions, and do not leave them to the Church, let them be kept for a time; and after a year let not the Church appropriate them, but let them be given to the Poor for his soul.
But if he desire to be embalmed, let the Deacons provide for this, a Presbyter standing by.
If the Church have a graveyard, and there be one who abideth there and keepeth it, let the Bishop provide for him from the Church, so that he be no burden to those who come there.
Chapter 24
Let the people always take care about the early dawn, that arising and washing their hands they immediately pray. And so let each one go to the work which he willeth.
Let all take care to pray at the third hour with mourning and labour, either in the Church, or in the house because they cannot go (to the Church). For this is the hour of the fixing of the Only-begotten on the Cross.
But at the sixth hour similarly let there be prayer with sorrow. For then the daylight was divided by the darkness. Let there be then that voice which is like to the Prophets, and to creation mourning.
At the ninth hour also let prayer be protracted, as with a hymn of praise that is like to the souls of those who give praise to God that lieth not, as one who hath remembered His Saints, and hath sent His Word and Wisdom to enlighten them. For in that hour life was opened to the faithful, and blood and water were shed from the side of our Lord.
But at evening, when it is the beginning of another day, shewing an image of the resurrection., He hath caused us to give praise.
But at midnight let them arise praising and lauding because of the resurrection.
But at dawn [let them arise] praising with Psalms, because after He rose He glorified the Father while they were singing Psalms. But if any have a consort or wife [not] faithful, let the husband who is faithful go and pray at these times without fail.
Let those who are chaste not lessen [them]. For the adornments of Heaven give praise, the lights, the sun, the moon, the stars, the lightnings, the thunders, the clouds, the Angels, the Archangels, the Glories, the Dominions, the whole [Heavenly] Army, the depths, the sea, the rivers, the wells, fire, dew, and all nature that produceth rain.
All the Saints also give praise and all the souls of the righteous. These, then, who pray are numbered together in the remembrance of God.
[Reasons for Ecclesiastical Rule]
Chapter 25
When ye the faithful accomplish these things, teach and instruct one another, causing the Catechumens to make progress, as loving all men; ye do not perish, but will be in Me and I will be among you.
But always let the faithful take care that before he eat he partake of the Eucharist, that he may be incapable of receiving injury.
When ye teach these things and keep [them], ye shall be saved, and evil heresy shall not prevail against you.
Lo, then, I have taught you now all [things] that ye desire; and those things which I have spoken with you [of] from the beginning, and have taught and commanded you before I should suffer, ye know.
Chapter 26
And thou; especially John, and Andrew and Peter, even now ye know all [the things] which I have spoken to you while I am with you, as also that which [is] in this Testament, in order that when ye deliver [them] to the nations the will of My Father may always be accomplished, abiding firm in carefulness, so that there may be good fruits in them that hear.
Ye know that I have spoken with you that a good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit. All [things], then, that I have commanded you openly and secretly, do. And the God of tranquillity be with you.
Chapter 27
And falling down we worshipped Him, saying. Glory to Thee, Jesus, Name of light, who didst give us the teaching of Thy commandments, so that we may be like unto Thee, we and all those who hear Thee. And when He spoke to us and taught and commanded us, and showed many loosings and miracles. He was taken up from us, giving us tranquillity.
John and Peter and Matthew wrote this Testament, and sent [it] in copies from Jerusalem by Dositheus and Silas and Magnus and Aquila, whom they chose to send [them] to all dioceses. Amen.
The Second Book of Clement is ended, translated from the Greek to the Syrian language by James the Poor, in the year 998 of the Greeks.
End of Second Book
COVENANT OF OUR LORD
1 The book which Jesus Christ revealed unto his disciples: and how that Jesus Christ revealed the book for the company (college) of the apostles, the disciples of Jesus Christ, even the book which is for all men. Simon and Cerinthus, the false apostles, concerning whom it is written that no man shall cleave unto them for there is in them deceit wherewith they bring men to destruction. (The book hath been written) that ye may be steadfast and not flinch nor be troubled, and depart not from the word of the Gospel which ye have heard. Like as we heard it, we keep it in remembrance and have written it for the whole world. We commend you our sons and our daughters in joy in the name of God the Father the Lord of the world, and of Jesus Christ. Let grace be multiplied upon you.
2 We, John, Thomas, Peter, Andrew, James, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Nathanael, Judas Zelotes, and Cephas, write unto the churches of the east and the west, of the north and the south declaring and imparting unto you that which concerneth our Lord Jesus Christ: we do write according as we have seen and heard and touched him, after that he was risen from the dead: and how that he revealed unto us things mighty and wonderful and true.
3 This know we: that our Lord and Redeemer Jesus Christ is God the Son of God, who was sent of God the Lord of the whole world, the maker and creator of it, who is named by all names and high above all powers, Lord of lords, King of kings, Ruler of rulers, the heavenly one, that sitteth above the cherubim and seraphim at the right hand of the throne of the Father: who by his word made the heavens, and formed the earth and that which is in it, and set bounds to the sea that it should not pass: the deeps also and fountains,that they should spring forth and flow over the earth: the day and the night, the sun and the moon, did he establish, and the stars in the heaven: that did separate the light from the darkness: that called forth hell, and in the twinkling of an eye ordained the rain of the winter, the snow (cloud), the hail, and the ice, and the days in their several seasons: that maketh the earth to quake and again establisheth it: that created man in his own image, after his likeness, and by the fathers of old and the prophets is it declared (or, and spake in parables with the fathers of old and the prophets in verity), of whom the apostles preached, and whom the disciples did touch. In God, the Lord, the Son of God, do we believe, that he is the word become flesh: that of Mary the holy virgin he took a body, begotten of the Holy Ghost, not of the will (lust) of the flesh, but by the will of God: that he was wrapped in swaddling clothes in Bethlehem and made manifest, and grew up and came to ripe age, when also we beheld it.
4 This did our Lord Jesus Christ, who was sent by Joseph and Mary his mother to be taught. [And] when he that taught him said unto him: Say Alpha: then answered he and said: Tell thou me first what is Beta (probably: Tell thou me first what is Beta. Cf. the Marcosian story quoted by Irenaeus (see above, Gospel of Thomas)- The story is in our texts of the Gospel of Thomas, and runs through all the Infancy Gospels). This thing which then came to pass Is true and of verity.
5 Thereafter was there a marriage in Cana of Galilee; and they bade him with his mother and his brethren, and he changed water into wine. He raised the dead, he caused the lame to walk: him whose hand was withered he caused to stretch it out, and the woman which had suffered an issue of blood twelve years touched the hem of his garment and was healed in the same hour. And when we marvelled at the miracle which was done, he said: Who touched me? Then said we: Lord, the press of men hath touched thee. But he answered and said unto us: I perceive that a virtue is gone out of me. Straightway that woman came before him, and answered and said unto him: Lord, I touched thee. And he answered and said unto her: Go, thy faith hath made thee whole. Thereafter he made the deaf to hear and the blind to see; out of them that were possessed he cast out the unclean spirits, and cleansed the lepers. The spirit which dwelt in a man, whereof the name was Legion, cried out against Jesus, saying: Before the time of our destruction is come, thou art come to drive us out. But the Lord Jesus rebuked him, saying: Go out of this man and do him no hurt. And he entered into the swine and drowned them in the water and they were choked.
Thereafter he did walk upon the sea, and the winds blew, and he cried out against them (rebuked them), and the waves of the sea were made calm. And when we his disciples had no money, we asked him: What shall we do because of the tax-gatherer? And he answered and told us: Let one of you cast an hook into the deep, and take out a fish, and he shall find therein a penny: that give unto the tax-gatherer for me and you. And thereafter when we had no bread, but only five loaves and two fishes, he commanded the people to sit them down, and the number of them was five thousand, besides children and women. We did set pieces of bread before them, and they ate and were filled, and there remained over, and we filled twelve baskets full of the fragments, asking one another and saying: What mean these five loaves? They are the symbol of our faith in the Lord of the Christians (in the great christendom), even in the Father, the Lord Almighty, and in Jesus Christ our redeemer, in the Holy Ghost the comforter, in the holy church, and in the remission of sins.
6 These things did our Lord and Saviour reveal unto us and teach us. And we do even as he, that ye may become partakers in the grace of our Lord and in our ministry and our giving of thanks (glory), and think upon life eternal. Be ye steadfast and waver not in the knowledge and confidence of our Lord Jesus Christ, and he will have mercy on you and save you everlastingly, world without end.
Here begins the Coptic text.
7 Cerinthus and Simon are come to go to and fro in the world, but they are enemies of our Lord Jesus Christ, for they do pervert the word and the true thing, even (faith in) Jesus Christ. Keep yourselves therefore far from them, for death is in them, and great pollution and corruption, even in these on whom shall come judgement and the end and everlasting destruction.
8 Therefore have we not shrunk from writing unto you concerning the testimony of Christ our Saviour, of what he did, when we followed with him, how he enlightened our understanding . . . .
9 Concerning whom we testify that the Lord is he who was crucified by Pontius Pilate and Archelaus between the two thieves (and with them he was taken down from the tree of the cross, Eth.), and was buried in a place which is called the place of a skull (Kranion). And thither went three women, Mary, she that was kin to Martha, and Mary Magdalene (Sarrha, Martha, and Mary, Eth.), and took ointments to pour upon the body, weeping and mourning over that which was come to pass. And when they drew near to the sepulchre, they looked in and found not the body (Eth. they found the stone rolled away and opened the entrance).
10 And as they mourned and wept, the Lord showed himself unto them and said to them: For whom weep ye? weep no more I am he whom ye seek. But let one of you go to your brethren and say: Come ye, the Master is risen from the dead. Martha (Mary, Eth.) came and told us. We said unto her: What have we to do with thee, woman? He that is dead and buried, is it possible that he should live? And we believed her not that the Saviour was risen from the dead. Then she returned unto the Lord and said unto him: None of them hath believed me, that thou livest. He said: Let another of you go unto them and tell them again. Mary (Sarrha, Eth.) came and told us again, and we believed her not; and she returned unto the Lord and she also told him.
11 Then said the Lord unto Mary and her sisters: Let us go unto them. And he came and found us within (sitting veiled or fishing, Eth.), and called us out, but we thought that it was a phantom and believed not that it was the Lord. Then said he unto us: Come, fear ye not. I am your master, even he, O Peter, whom thou didst deny thrice; and dost thou now deny again? And we came unto him, doubting in our hearts whether it were he. Then said he unto us: Wherefore doubt ye still, and are unbelieving? I am he that spake unto you of my flesh and my death and my resurrection. But that ye may know that I am he, do thou, Peter, put thy finger into the print of the nails in mine hands, and thou also, Thomas, put thy finger into the wound of the spear in my side; but thou, Andrew, look on my feet and see whether they press the earth; for it is written in the prophet: A phantom of a devil maketh no footprint on the earth.
12 And we touched him, that we might learn of a truth whether he were risen in the flesh; and we fell on our faces (and worshipped him) confessing our sin, that we had been unbelieving. Then said our Lord and Saviour unto us: Rise up, and I will reveal unto you that which is above the heaven and in the heaven, and your rest which is in the kingdom of heaven. For my Father hath given me power (sent me, Eth.) to take you up thither, and them also that believe on me.
13 Now that which he revealed unto us is this, which he spake: It came to pass when I was about (minded) to come hither from the Father of all things, and passed through the heavens, then did I put on the wisdom of the Father, and I put on the power of his might. I was in heaven, and I passed by the archangels and the angels in their likeness, like as if I were one of them, among the princedoms and powers. I passed through them because I possessed the wisdom of him that had sent me. Now the chief captain of the angels, [is] Michael, and Gabriel and Uriel and Raphael followed me unto the fifth firmament (heaven), for they thought in their heart that I was one of them; such power was given me of my Father. And on that day did I adorn the archangels with a wonderful voice (so Copt.: Eth., Lat., I made them quake -amazed them), so that they should go unto the altar of the Father and serve and fulfil the ministry until I should return unto him. And so wrought I the likeness by my wisdom; for I became all things in all, that I might praise the dispensation of the Father and fulfil the glory of him that sent me (the verbs might well be transposed) and return unto him. (Here the Latin omits a considerable portion of text without notice, to near the beginning of c. 17.)
14 For ye know that the angel Gabriel brought the message unto Mary. And we answered: Yea, Lord. He answered and said unto us: Remember ye not, then, that I said unto you a little while ago: I became an angel among the angels, and I became all things in all? We said unto him: Yea, Lord. Then answered he and said unto us: On that day whereon I took the form of the angel Gabriel, I appeared unto Mary and spake with her. Her heart accepted me, and she believed (She believed and laughed, Eth.), and I formed myself and entered into her body. I became flesh, for I alone was a minister unto myself in that which concerned Mary (I was mine own messenger, Eth.) in the appearance of the shape of an angel. For so must I needs (or, was I wont to) do. Thereafter did I return to my Father (Copt. After my return to the Father, and run on).
15 But do ye commemorate my death. Now when the Passover (Easter, pascha) cometh, one of you shall be cast into prison for my names sake; and he will be in grief and sorrow, because ye keep the Easter while he is in prison and separated from you, for he will be sorrowful because he keepeth not Easter with you. And I will send my power in the form of mine angel Gabriel, and the doors of the prison shall open. And he shall come forth and come unto you and keep the night-watch with you until the cock crow. And when ye have accomplished the memorial which is made of me, and the Agape (love-feast), he shall again be cast into prison for a testimony, until he shall come out thence and preach that which I have delivered unto you.
And we said unto him: Lord, is it then needful that we should again take the cup and drink? (Lord, didst not thou thyself fulfil the drinking of the Passover? is it then needful that we should accomplish it again? Eth.) He said unto us: Yea, it is needful, until the day when I come again, with them that have been put to death for my sake (come with my wounds, Eth.).
16 Then said we to him: Lord, that which thou hast revealed unto us (revealest, Eth.) is great. Wilt thou come in the power of any creature or in an appearance of any kind? (In what power or form wilt thou come? Eth.) He answered and said unto us: Verily I say unto you, I shall come like the sun when it is risen, and my brightness will be seven times the brightness thereof! The wings of the clouds shall bear me in brightness, and the sign of the cross shall go before me, and I shall come upon earth to judge the quick and the dead.
17 We said unto him: Lord, after how many years shall this come to pass? He said unto us: When the hundredth part and the twentieth part is fulfilled, between the Pentecost and the feast of unleavened bread, then shall the coming of my Father be (so Copt.: When an hundred and fifty years are past, in the days of the feast of Passover and Pentecost, &c., Eth.: . . . (imperfect word) year is fulfilled, between the unleavened bread and Pentecost shall be the coming of my Father, lat.).3
We said unto him: Now sayest thou unto us: I will come; and how sayest thou: He that sent me is he that shall come? Then said he to us: I am wholly in the Father and my Father is in me. Then said we to him: Wilt thou indeed forsake us until thy coming? Where can we find a master? But he answered and said unto us: Know ye not, then, that like as until now I have been here, so also was I there, with him that sent me? And we said to him: Lord, is it then possible that thou shouldest be both here and there? But he answered us: I am wholly in the Father and the Father in me, because of (in regard of) the likeness of the form and the power and the fullness and the light and the full measure and the voice. I am the word, I am become unto him a thing, that is to say (word gone) of the thought, fulfilled in the type (likeness); I have come into the Ogdoad (eighth number), which is the Lord's day. [The Lord's day considered as the eighth day of the week.] (In place of these sentences Eth. has: I am of his resemblance and form, of his power and completeness, and of his light. I am his complete (fulfilled, entire) word.
18 But it came to pass after he was crucified, and dead and arisen again, when the work was fulfilled which was accomplished in the flesh, and he was crucified and the ascension come to pass at the end of the days, then said he thus, &c. It is an interpolation, in place of words which the translator did not understand, or found heretical.) But the whole fulfilment of the fulfilment shall ye see after the redemption which hath come to pass by me, and ye shall see me, how I go up unto my Father which is in heaven. But behold, now, I give unto you a new commandment: Love one another and [a leaf lost in Copt.] obey one another, that peace may rule always among you. Love your enemies, and what ye would not that man do unto you, that do unto no man.
19 And this preach ye also and teach them that believe on me and preach the kingdom of heaven of my Father, and how my Father hath given me the power, that ye may bring near the children of my heavenly Father. Preach ye, and they shall obtain faith, that ye may be they for whom it is ordained that they shall bring his children unto heaven.
And we said unto him: Lord, unto thee it is possible to accomplish that whereof thou tellest us, but how shall we be able to do it? He said to us: Verily I say unto you, preach and proclaim as I command you, for I will be with you, for it is my good pleasure to be with you, that ye may be heirs with me in the kingdom of heaven, even the kingdom of him that sent me. Verily I say unto you, ye shall be my brethren and my friends for my Father hath found pleasure in you: and so also shall they be that believe on me by your means. Verily I say unto you such and so great joy hath my Father prepared for you that the angels and the powers desired and do desire to see it and look upon it; but it is not given unto them to behold the glory of my Father. We said unto him: Lord, what is this whereof thou speakest to us?
Copt. begins again: words are missing.
He answered us: Ye shall behold a light, more excellent than that which shineth . . . (shineth more brightly than the light, and is more perfect than perfection. And the Son shall become perfect through the Father who is Light, for the Father is perfect which bringeth to pass death and resurrection, and ye shall see a perfection more perfect than the perfect. And I am wholly at the right hand of the Father, even in him that maketh perfect. So Eth.: Copt. has gaps).
And we said unto him: Lord, in all things art thou become salvation and life unto us, for that thou makest known such a hope unto us. And he said to us: Be of good courage and rest in me. Verily I say unto you, your rest shall be above (?), in the place where is neither eating nor drinking, nor care (Copt. joy) nor sorrow, nor passing away of them that are therein: for ye shall have no part in (the things of earth, Eth.) but ye shall be received in the everlastingness of my Father. Like as I am in him, so shall ye also be in me.
Again we said unto him: In what form? in the fashion of angels, or in flesh? And he answered and said unto us: Lo, I have put on your flesh, wherein I was born and crucified, and am risen again through my Father which is in heaven, that the prophecy of David the prophet might be fulfilled, in regard of that which was declared concerning me and my death and resurrection, saying:
Lord, they are increased that fight with me, and many are they that are risen up against me. Many there be that say to my soul: There is no help for him in his God.But thou, O Lord, art my defender: thou art my worship, and the lifter up of my head.I did call upon the Lord with my voice and he heard me (out of the high place of his temple, Eth.). I laid me down and slept,and rose up again: for thou,O Lord, art my defender. I will not be afraid for ten thousands of the people, that have set themselves against me round about. Up, Lord, and help me, O my God: for thou hast smitten down all them that without cause are mine enemies: thou hast broken the teeth of the ungodly. Salvation belongeth unto the Lord, and his good pleasure is upon his people (Ps. iii. 1-8).
If, therefore, all the words which were spoken by the prophets have been fulfilled in me (for I myself was in them), how much more shall that which I say unto you come to pass indeed, that he which sent me may be glorified by you and by them that believe on me?
20 And when he had said this unto us, we said to him: In all things hast thou had mercy on us and saved us, and hast revealed all things unto us; but yet would we ask of thee somewhat if thou give us leave. And he said unto us: I know that ye pay heed, and that your heart is well-pleased when ye hear me: now concerning that which ye desire, I will speak good words unto you. 21 For verily I say unto you: Like as my Father hath raised me from the dead, so shall ye also rise (in the flesh, Eth.) and be taken up into the highest heaven, unto the place whereof I have told you from the beginning, unto the place which he who sent me hath prepared for you. And so will I accomplish all dispensations (all grace, Eth.), even I who am unbegotten and yet begotten of mankind, who am without flesh and yet have borne flesh : for to that end am I come, that (gap in Copt.: Eth. continues) ye might rise from the dead in your flesh, in the second birth, even a vesture that shall not decay, together with all them that hope and believe in him that sent me: for so is the will of my Father that I would give unto you, and unto them whom it pleaseth me, the hope of the kingdom.
Then said we unto him: Great is that which thou sufferest us to hope, and tellest us. And he answered and said: Believe ye that every thing that I tell you shall come to pass? We answered and said: Yea, Lord. (Copt. resumes for a few lines: then another gap. Follow Eth.) He said unto us: Verily I say unto you, that I have obtained the whole power of my Father, that I may bring back into light them that dwell in darkness, them that are in corruption into incorruption, them that are in death into life and that I may loose them that are in fetters. For that which is impossible with men, is possible with the Father. I am the hope of them that despair, the helper of them that have no saviour, the wealth of the poor, the health of the sick, and the resurrection of the dead.
22 When he had thus said, we said unto him: Lord, is it true that the flesh shall be judged together with the soul and the spirit and that the one part shall rest in heaven and the other part be punished everlastingly yet living? And he said unto us: (Copt. resumes) How long will ye inquire and doubt?
23 Again we said unto him: Lord, there is necessity upon us to inquire of thee -because thou hast commanded us to preach- that we ourselves may learn assuredly of thee and be profitable preachers, and that they which are instructed by us may believe in thee. Therefore must we needs inquire of thee.
24 He answered us and said: Verily I say unto you, the resurrection of the flesh shall come to pass with the soul therein and the spirit. And we said unto him: Lord, is it then possible that that which is dissolved and brought to nought should become whole? and we ask thee not as unbelieving, neither as if it were impossible unto thee; but verily we believe that that which thou sayest shall come to pass. And he was wroth with us and said: O ye of little faith, how long will ye ask questions? But what ye will, tell it me, and I myself will tell you without grudging: only keep ye my commandments and do that which I bid you, and turn not away your face from any man, that I turn not my face away from you, but without shrinking and fear and without respect of persons, minister ye in the way that is direct and narrow and strait. So shall my Father himself rejoice over you.
25 Again we said unto him: Lord, already are we ashamed that we question thee oft-times and burden thee. And he answered and said unto us: I know that in faith and with your whole heart ye do question me, therefore do I rejoice over you for verily I say unto you: I rejoice, and my Father that is in me, because ye question me; and your importunity (shamelessness) is unto me rejoicing and unto you it giveth life. And when he had so said unto us, we were glad that we had questioned him and we said to him: Lord, in all things thou makest us alive and hast mercy on us. Wilt thou now declare unto us that which we shall ask thee? Then said he unto us: Is it the flesh that passeth away, or is it the spirit? We said unto him: The flesh is it that passeth away. Then said he unto us: That which hath fallen shall rise again, and that which was lost shall be found, and that which was weak shall recover, that in these things that are so created the glory of my Father may be revealed. As he hath done unto me, so will I do unto all that believe in me.
26 Verily I say unto you: the flesh shall arise, and the soul, alive, that their defence may come to pass on that day in regard of that that they have done, whether it be good or evil: that there may be a choosing-out of the faithful who have kept the commandments of my Father that sent me; and so shall the judgement be accomplished with strictness. For my Father said unto me: My Son, in the day of judgement thou shalt have no respect for the rich, neither pity for the poor, but according to the sins of every man shalt thou deliver him unto everlasting torment. But unto my beloved that have done the commandments of my Father that sent me will I give the rest of life in the kingdom of my Father which is in heaven, and they shall behold that which he hath given me. And he hath given me authority to do that which I will, and to give that which I have promised and determined to give and grant unto them.
27 For to that end went I down unto the place of Lazarus, and preached unto the righteous and the prophets, that they might come out of the rest which is below and come up into that which is above; and I poured out upon them with my right hand the water (?) (baptism, Eth.) of life and forgiveness and salvation from all evil, as I have done unto you and unto them that believe on me. But if any man believe on me and do not my commandments, although he have confessed my name, he hath no profit therefrom but runneth a vain race: for such will find themselves in perdition and destruction, because they have despised my commandments.
28 But so much the more have I redeemed you, the children of light, from all evil and from the authority of the rulers (archons), and every one that believeth on me by your means. For that which I have promised unto you will I give unto them also, that they may come out of the prison-house and the fetters of the rulers. We answered and said: Lord thou hast given unto us the rest of life and hast given us <Joy? by wonders, unto the confirmation of faith: wilt thou now preach the same unto us, seeing that thou hast preached it unto the and the prophets? Then said he unto us: Verily I say unto you, all that have believed on me and that believe in him that sent me will I take up into the heaven, unto the place which my Father hath prepared for the elect, and I will give you the kingdom, the chosen kingdom, in rest, and everlasting life.
29 But all they that have offended against my commandments and have taught other doctrine, (perverting) the Scripture and adding thereto, striving after their own glory, and that teach with other words them that believe on me in uprightness, ie they make them fall thereby, shall receive everlasting punishment. We said unto him: Lord, shall there then be teaching by others, diverse from that which thou hast spoken unto us? He said unto us: It must needs be, that the evil and the good may be made manifest; and the judgement shall be manifest upon them that do these things, and according to their works shall they be judged and shall be delivered unto death.
Again we said unto him: Lord, blessed are we in that we see thee and hear thee declaring such things, for our eyes have beheld these great wonders that thou hast done. He answered and said unto us: Yea, rather blessed are they that have not seen and yet have believed for they shall be called children of the kingdom, and they shall be perfect among the perfect, and I will be unto them life in the kingdom of my Father.
Again we said unto him: Lord, how shall men be able to believe that thou wilt depart and leave us; for thou sayest unto us: There shall come a day and an hour when I shall ascend unto my Father?
30 But he said unto us: Go ye and preach unto the twelve tribes, and preach also unto the heathen, and to all the land of Israel from the east to the west and from the south unto the north, and many shall believe on the Son of God. But we said unto him: Lord, who will believe us, or hearken unto us, or (how shall we be able, Eth.) to teach the powers and signs and wonders which thou hast done? Then answered he and said to us: Go ye and preach the mercifulness of my Father, and that which he hath done through me will I myself do through you, for I am in you, and I will give you my peace, and I will give you a power of my spirit, that ye may prophesy to them unto life eternal. And unto the others also will I give my power, that they may teach the residue of the peoples.
(Six leaves lost in Copt.: Eth. continues.)
31 And behold a man shall meet you, whose name is Saul which being interpreted is Paul: he is a Jew, circumcised according to the law, and he shall receive my voice from heaven with fear and terror and trembling. And his eyes shall be blinded and by your hands by the sign of the cross shall they be protected (healed: other Eth. MSS. with spittle by your hands shall his eyes &c.). Do ye unto him all that I have done unto you. Deliver it (? the word of God) unto the other. And at the same time that man shall open his eyes and praise the Lord, even my Father which is in heaven. He shall obtain power among the people and shall preach and instruct; and many that hear him shall obtain glory and be redeemed. But thereafter shall men be wroth with him and deliver him into the hands of his enemies, and he shall bear witness before kings that are mortal, and his end shall he that he shall turn unto me, whereas he persecuted me at the first. He shall preach and teach and abide with the elect, as a chosen vessel and a wall that shall not be overthrown, yea, the last of the last shall become a preacher unto the Gentiles, made perfect by the will of my Father. Like as ye have learned from the Scripture that your fathers the prophets spake of me, and in me it is indeed fulfilled.
And he said unto us: Be ye also therefore guides unto them; and all things that I said unto you, and that ye write concerning me (tell ye them), that I am the word of the Father and that the Father is in me. Such also shall ye be unto that man, as becometh you. Instruct him and bring to his mind that which is spoken of me in the Scripture and is fulfilled, and thereafter shall he become the salvation of the Gentiles.
32 And we asked him: Lord, is there for us and for them the self-same expectation of the inheritance? He answered and said unto us: Are then the fingers of the hand like unto each other, or the ears of corn in the field, or do all fruit-trees bear the same fruit? Doth not every one bear fruit according to its nature? And we said unto him: Lord, wilt thou again speak unto us in parables? Then said he unto us: Lament not. Verily I say unto you, ye are my brethren, and my companions in the kingdom of heaven unto my Father, for so is his good pleasure. Verily I say unto you, unto them also whom ye teach and who believe on me will I give that expectation.
33 And we asked him again: When shall we meet with that man, and when wilt thou depart unto thy Father and our God and Lord? He answered and said unto us: That man will come out of the land of Cilicia unto Damascus of Syria, to root up the church which ye must found there. It is I that speak through you; and he shall come quickly: and he shall become strong in the faith, that the word of the prophet may be fulfilled, which saith: Behold, out of Syria will I begin to call together a new Jerusalem, and Sion will I subdue unto me, and it shall be taken, and the place which is childless shall be called the son and daughter of my Father, and my bride. For so hath it pleased him that sent me. But that man will I turn back, that he accomplish not his evil desire, and the praise of my Father shall be perfected in him, and after that I am gone home and abide with my Father, I will speak unto him from heaven, and all things shall be accomplished which I have told you before concerning him.
34 And we said unto him again: Lord, so many great things hast thou told us and revealed unto us as never yet were spoken, and in all hast thou given us rest and been gracious unto us. After thy resurrection thou didst reveal unto us all things that we might be saved indeed; but thou saidst unto us only: There shall be wonders and strange appearances in heaven and on earth before the end of the world come. Tell us now, how shall we perceive it? And he answered us: I will teach it you; and not that which shall befall you only, but them also whom ye shall teach and who shall believe, as well as them who shall hear that man and believe on me. In those years and days shall it come to pass.
And we said again unto him: Lord, what shall come to pass? And he said unto us: Then shall they that believe and they that believe not hear (see Eth.) a trumpet in the heaven, a vision of great stars which shall be seen in the day, wonderful sights in heaven reaching down to the earth; stars which fall upon the earth like fire, and a great and mighty hail of fire (a star shining from the east unto this place, like unto fire, Eth. 2). The sun and the moon fighting one with the other, a continual rolling and noise of thunders and lightnings, thunder and earthquake; cities falling and men perishing in their overthrow, a continual dearth for lack of rain, a terrible pestilence and great mortality, mighty and untimely, so that they that die lack burial: and the bearing forth of brethren and sisters and kinsfolk shall be upon one bier. The kinsman shall show no favour to his kinsman,nor any man to his neighbour. And they that were overthrown shall rise up and behold them that overthrew them, that they lack burial, for the pestilence shall be full of hatred and pain and envy: and men shall take from one and give to another. And thereafter shall it wax yet worse than before. (Bewail ye them that have not hearkened unto my commandments, Eth. 2.)
35 Then shall my Father be wroth at the wickedness of men, for many are their transgressions, and the abomination of their uncleanness weigheth heavy upon them in the corruption of their life.
And we asked him: What of them that trust in thee? He answered and said unto us: Ye are yet slow of heart; and how long? Verily I say unto you, as the prophet David spake of me and of my people, so shall it be (?) for them also that believe on me. But they that are deceivers in the world and enemies of righteousness, upon them shall come the fulfilment of the prophecy of David, who said: Their feet are swift to shed blood, their tongue uttereth slander, adders' poison is under their lips. I behold thee companying with thieves, and partaking with adulterers, thou continuest speaking against thy brother and puttest stumbling blocks before thine own mother's son. What thinkest thou that I shall be like unto thee? Behold now how the prophet of God hath spoken of all, that all things may be fulfilled which he said aforetime.
36 And again we said unto him: Lord, will not then the nations say: Where is their God? And he answered and said unto us: Thereby shall the elect be known, that they being plagued with such afflictions, come forth. We said: Will then their departure out of the world be by a pestilence which giveth them pain? He answered us: Nay, but if they suffer such affliction, it will be a proving of them, whether they have faith and remember these my sayings, and fulfil my commandments. These shall arise, and short will be their expectation, that he may be glorified that sent me, and I with him. For he hath sent me unto you to tell you these things; and that ye may impart them unto Israel and the Gentiles and they may hear, and they also be redeemed and believe on me and escape the woe of the destruction. But whoso escapeth from the destruction of death, him will they take and hold him fast in the prison-house in torments like the torments of a thief.
And we said unto him: Lord, will they that believe be treated like the unbelievers, and wilt thou punish them that have escaped from the pestilence? And he said unto us: If they that believe in my name deal like the sinners, then have they done as though they had not believed. And we said again to him: Lord, have they on whom this lot hath fallen no life? He answered and said unto us: Whoso hath accomplished the praise of my Father, he shall abide in the resting-place of my Father.
37 Then said we unto him: Lord, teach us what shall come to pass thereafter? And he answered us: In those years and days shall war be kindled upon war; the four ends of the earth shall be in commotion and fight against each other. Thereafter shall be quakings of clouds (or, clouds of locusts), darkness, and dearth, and persecutions of them that believe on me and against the elect. Thereupon shall come doubt and strife and transgressions against one another. And there shall be many that believe on my name and yet follow after evil and spread vain doctrine. And men shall follow after them and their riches, and be subject unto their pride, and lust for drink, and bribery, and there shall be respect of persons among them.
38 But they that desire to behold the face of God and respect not the persons of the rich sinners, and are not ashamed before the people that lead them astray, but rebuke (?) them, they shall be crowned by the Father. And they also shall be saved that rebuke their neighbours, for they are sons of wisdom. and of faith. But if they become not children of wisdom, whoso hateth his brother and persecuteth him and showeth him no favour, him will God despise and reject.
(Copt. resumes.)
But they that walk in truth and in the knowledge of the faith, and have love towards me -for they have endured insult- they shall be praised for that they walk in poverty and endure them that hate them and put them to shame. Men have stripped them naked, for they despised them because they continued in hunger and thirst, but after they have endured patiently, they shall have the blessedness of heaven, and they shall be with me for ever. But woe unto them that walk in pride and boasting, for their end is perdition.
39 And we said unto him: Lord, is this thy purpose, that thou leavest us, to come upon them? (Will all this come to pass, Eth.) He answered and said unto us: After what manner shall he judgement be? whether righteous or unrighteous? (In Copt. and Eth. the general sense is the same: but the answer of Jesus in the form of a question is odd, and there is probably a corruption.)
We said unto him: Lord, in that day they will say unto thee: Thou hast not distinguished between ( probably: will they not say unto thee: Thou hast distinguished between) righteousness and unrighteousness, between the light and the darkness, and evil and good? Then said he: I will answer them and say: Unto Adam was power given to choose one of the two: he chose the light and laid his hand thereon, but the darkness he left behind him and cast away from him. Therefore have all men power to believe in the light which is life, and which is the Father that hath sent me. And every one that believeth and doeth the works of the light shall live in them, but if there be any that confesseth that he belongeth unto the light, and doeth the works of darkness, such an one hath no defence to utter, neither can he lift up his face to look upon the Son of God, which Son am I. For I will say unto him: As thou soughtest, so hast thou found, and as thou askedst, so hast thou received. Wherefore condemnest thou me, O man? Wherefore hast thou departed from me and denied me? And wherefore hast thou confessed me and yet denied me? hath not every man power to live and to die?
Whoso then hath kept my commandments shall be a son of the light, that is, of the Father that is in me. But because of them that corrupt my words am I come down from heaven. I am the word: I became flesh, and I wearied myself (or, suffered) and taught, saying: The heavy laden shall be saved, and they that are gone astray shall go astray for ever. They shall be chastised and tormented in their flesh and in their soul.
40 And we said unto him: O Lord, verily we are sorrowful for their sake. And he said unto us: Ye do rightly, for the righteous are sorry for the sinners, and pray for them, making prayer unto my Father. Again we said unto him: Lord, is there none that maketh intercession unto thee (so Eth.)? And he said unto us: Yea, and I will hearken unto the prayer of the righteous which they make for them.
When he had so said unto us, we said to him: Lord, in all things hast thou taught us and had mercy on us and saved us that we might preach unto them that are worthy to be saved, and that we might obtain a recompense with thee. (Shall we be partakers of a recompense from thee? Eth.) 41 He answered and said unto us: Go and preach, and ye shall be labourers, and fathers, and ministers. We said unto him: Thou art he (or, Art thou he) that shalt preach by us. (Lord, thou art our father. Eth.) Then answered he us, saying: Be not (or, Are not ye) all fathers or all masters. (Are then all fathers, or all servants, or all masters? Eth.) We said unto him: Lord, thou art he that saidst unto us: Call no man your father upon earth, for one is your Father, which is in heaven, and your master. Therefore sayest thou now unto us: Ye shall be fathers of many children, and servants and masters? He answered and said unto us: According as ye have said (Ye have rightly said, Eth.). For verily I say unto you: whosoever shall hear you and believe on me, shall receive of you the light of the seal through me, and baptism through me: ye shall be fathers and servants and masters.
42 But we said unto him: Lord, how may it be that every one of us should be these three? He said unto us: Verily I say unto you: Ye shall be called fathers, because with praiseworthy heart and in love ye have revealed unto them the things of the kingdom of heaven. And ye shall be called servants, because they shall receive the baptism of life and the remission of their sins at my hand through you. And ye shall be called masters because ye have given them the word without grudging, and have admonished them, and when ye admonished them, they turned themselves (were converted). Ye were not afraid of their riches, nor ashamed before their face, but ye kept the commandments of my Father and fulfilled them. And ye shall have a great reward with my Father which is in heaven, and they shall have forgiveness of sins and everlasting life, and be partakers in the kingdom of heaven.
And we said unto him: Lord, even if every one of us had ten thousand tongues to speak withal, we could not thank thee, for that thou promisest such things unto us. Then answered he us, saying: Only do ye that which I say unto you, even as I myself also have done it. 43 And ye shall be like the wise virgins which watched and slept not, but went forth unto the lord into the bride chamber: but the foolish virgins were not able to watch, but slumbered. And we said unto him: Lord, who are the wise and who are the foolish? He said unto us: Five wise and five foolish; for these are they of whom the prophet hath spoken: Sons of ; God are they. Hear now their names.
But we wept and were troubled for them that slumbered. He said unto us: The five wise are Faith and Love and Grace and Peace and Hope. Now they of the faithful which possess this (these) shall be guides unto them that have believed on me and on him that sent me. For I am the Lord and I am the bridegroom whom they have received, and they have entered in to the house of the bridegroom and are laid down with me in the bridal chamber rejoicing. But the five foolish, when they had slept and had awaked, came unto the door of the bridal chamber and knocked, for the doors were shut. Then did they weep and lament that no man opened unto them.
We said unto him: Lord, and their wise sisters that were within in the bridegroom's house, did they continue without opening unto them, and did they not sorrow for their sakes nor entreat the bridegroom to open unto them? He answered us saying: They were not yet able to obtain favour for them. We said unto him: Lord, on what day shall they enter in for their sisters' sake? Then said he unto us: He that is shut out, is shut out. And we said unto him: Lord, is this word (determined?). Who then are the foolish? He said unto us: Hear their names. They are Knowledge, Understanding (Perception) Obedience, Patience, and Compassion. These are they that slumbered in them that have believed and confessed me but have not fulfilled my commandments. 44 On account of them that have slumbered, they shall remain outside the kingdom and the fold of the shepherd and his sheep. But whoso shall abide outside the sheepfold, him will the wolves devour, and he shall be (condemned?) and die in much affliction: in him shall be no rest nor endurance, and (Eth.) although he be hardly punished, and rent in pieces and devoured in long and evil torment, yet shall he not be able to obtain death quickly.
45 And we said unto him: Lord, well hast thou revealed all this unto us. Then answered he us, saying: Understand ye not (or. Ye understand not) these words? We said unto him: Yea Lord. By five shall men enter into thy kingdom : notwithstanding, they that watched were with thee the Lord and bridegroom, even though they rejoiced not because of them that slumbered (yet will they have no pleasures because of, Eth.). He said unto us: They will indeed rejoice that they have entered in with the bridegroom the Lord; and they are sorrowful because of them that slumbered, for they are their sisters. For all ten are daughters of God, even the Father. Then said we unto him: Lord is it then for thee to show them favour on account of their sisters? (It becometh thy majesty to show them favour, Eth.) He said unto us: but his that sent me, and I am consenting with him (It is not yours,& c., Eth.).
46 But be ye upright and preach rightly and teach, and be not abashed by any man and fear not any man, and especially the rich, for they do not my commandments, but boast themselves (swell) in their riches. And we said unto him: Lord, tell us if it be the rich only. He answered, saying unto us: If any man who is not rich and possesseth a small livelihood giveth unto the poor and needy, men will call him a benefactor.
47 But if any man fall under the load of sin that he hath committed, then shall his neighbour correct him because of the good that he hath done unto his neighbour. And if his neighbour correct him and he return, he shall be saved, and he that corrected him shall receive a reward and live for ever. For a needy man, if he see him that hath done him good sin and correct him not, shall be judged with severe judgement. Now if a blind man lead a blind, they both fall into a ditch: and whoso respecteth persons for their sake, shall be as the two , as the prophet hath said: Woe unto them that respect persons and justify the ungodly for reward, even they whose God is their belly. Behold that judgement shall be their portion. For verily I say unto you: On that day will I neither have respect unto the rich nor pity for the poor.
48 If thou behold a sinner, admonish him betwixt him and thee: (if he hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother, Eth.) and if he hear thee not, then take to thee another, as many as three, and instruct thy brother: again, if he hear thee not, let him be unto thee
(Copt. defective from this point.)
as an heathen man or a publican.
49 If thou hear aught against thy brother, give it no credence; slander not, and delight not in hearing slander. For thus it is written: Suffer not thine ear to receive aught against thy brother: but if thou seest aught correct him, rebuke him and convert him.
And we said unto him: Lord, thou hast in ail things taught us and warned us. But, Lord, concerning the believers, even them to whom it belongeth to believe in the preaching of thy name: is it determined that among them also there shall be doubt and division, jealousy confusion, hatred, and envy? For thou sayest: They shall find fault with one another and respect the person of them that sin, and hate them that rebuke them. And he answered and said unto us: How then shall the judgement come about, that the corn should be gathered into the garner and the chaff thereof cast into the fire?
50 They that hate such things, and love me and rebuke them that fulfil not my commandments, shall be hated and persecuted and despised and mocked. Men will of purpose speak of them that which is not true, and will band themselves together against them that love me. But these will rebuke them, that they may be saved. But them that will rebuke and chasten and warn them, them will they (the others) hate, and thrust them aside, and despise them, and hold themselves far from them that wish them good. But they that endure such things shall be like unto the martyrs with the Father, because they have striven for righteousness, and have not striven for corruption.
And we asked him: Lord, shall such things be among us? And he answered us: Fear not; it shall not be in many, but in a few. We said unto him: Yet tell us, in what manner it shall come to pass. And he said unto us: There shall come forth another doctrine, and a confusion, and because they shall strive after their own advancement, they shall bring forth an unprofitable doctrine. And therein shall be a deadly corruption (of uncleanness), and they shall teach it, and shall turn away them that believe on me from my commandments and cut them off from eternal life. But woe unto them that falsify this my word and commandment, and draw away them that hearken to them from the life of the doctrine and separate themselves from the commandment of life: for together with them they shall come into everlasting judgement.
51 And when he had said this, and had finished his discourse with us, he said unto us again: Behold, on the third day and at the third hour shall he come which hath sent me, that I may depart with him. And as he so spake, there was thunder and lightning and an earthquake, and the heavens parted asunder and there appeared a light (bright) cloud which bore him up. And there came voices of many angels, rejoicing and singing praises and saying: Gather us, O Priest, unto the light of the majesty. And when they drew nigh unto the firmament, we heard his voice saying unto us: Depart hence in peace.
2 We, John, Thomas, Peter, Andrew, James, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Nathanael, Judas Zelotes, and Cephas, write unto the churches of the east and the west, of the north and the south declaring and imparting unto you that which concerneth our Lord Jesus Christ: we do write according as we have seen and heard and touched him, after that he was risen from the dead: and how that he revealed unto us things mighty and wonderful and true.
3 This know we: that our Lord and Redeemer Jesus Christ is God the Son of God, who was sent of God the Lord of the whole world, the maker and creator of it, who is named by all names and high above all powers, Lord of lords, King of kings, Ruler of rulers, the heavenly one, that sitteth above the cherubim and seraphim at the right hand of the throne of the Father: who by his word made the heavens, and formed the earth and that which is in it, and set bounds to the sea that it should not pass: the deeps also and fountains,that they should spring forth and flow over the earth: the day and the night, the sun and the moon, did he establish, and the stars in the heaven: that did separate the light from the darkness: that called forth hell, and in the twinkling of an eye ordained the rain of the winter, the snow (cloud), the hail, and the ice, and the days in their several seasons: that maketh the earth to quake and again establisheth it: that created man in his own image, after his likeness, and by the fathers of old and the prophets is it declared (or, and spake in parables with the fathers of old and the prophets in verity), of whom the apostles preached, and whom the disciples did touch. In God, the Lord, the Son of God, do we believe, that he is the word become flesh: that of Mary the holy virgin he took a body, begotten of the Holy Ghost, not of the will (lust) of the flesh, but by the will of God: that he was wrapped in swaddling clothes in Bethlehem and made manifest, and grew up and came to ripe age, when also we beheld it.
4 This did our Lord Jesus Christ, who was sent by Joseph and Mary his mother to be taught. [And] when he that taught him said unto him: Say Alpha: then answered he and said: Tell thou me first what is Beta (probably: Tell thou me first what is Beta. Cf. the Marcosian story quoted by Irenaeus (see above, Gospel of Thomas)- The story is in our texts of the Gospel of Thomas, and runs through all the Infancy Gospels). This thing which then came to pass Is true and of verity.
5 Thereafter was there a marriage in Cana of Galilee; and they bade him with his mother and his brethren, and he changed water into wine. He raised the dead, he caused the lame to walk: him whose hand was withered he caused to stretch it out, and the woman which had suffered an issue of blood twelve years touched the hem of his garment and was healed in the same hour. And when we marvelled at the miracle which was done, he said: Who touched me? Then said we: Lord, the press of men hath touched thee. But he answered and said unto us: I perceive that a virtue is gone out of me. Straightway that woman came before him, and answered and said unto him: Lord, I touched thee. And he answered and said unto her: Go, thy faith hath made thee whole. Thereafter he made the deaf to hear and the blind to see; out of them that were possessed he cast out the unclean spirits, and cleansed the lepers. The spirit which dwelt in a man, whereof the name was Legion, cried out against Jesus, saying: Before the time of our destruction is come, thou art come to drive us out. But the Lord Jesus rebuked him, saying: Go out of this man and do him no hurt. And he entered into the swine and drowned them in the water and they were choked.
Thereafter he did walk upon the sea, and the winds blew, and he cried out against them (rebuked them), and the waves of the sea were made calm. And when we his disciples had no money, we asked him: What shall we do because of the tax-gatherer? And he answered and told us: Let one of you cast an hook into the deep, and take out a fish, and he shall find therein a penny: that give unto the tax-gatherer for me and you. And thereafter when we had no bread, but only five loaves and two fishes, he commanded the people to sit them down, and the number of them was five thousand, besides children and women. We did set pieces of bread before them, and they ate and were filled, and there remained over, and we filled twelve baskets full of the fragments, asking one another and saying: What mean these five loaves? They are the symbol of our faith in the Lord of the Christians (in the great christendom), even in the Father, the Lord Almighty, and in Jesus Christ our redeemer, in the Holy Ghost the comforter, in the holy church, and in the remission of sins.
6 These things did our Lord and Saviour reveal unto us and teach us. And we do even as he, that ye may become partakers in the grace of our Lord and in our ministry and our giving of thanks (glory), and think upon life eternal. Be ye steadfast and waver not in the knowledge and confidence of our Lord Jesus Christ, and he will have mercy on you and save you everlastingly, world without end.
Here begins the Coptic text.
7 Cerinthus and Simon are come to go to and fro in the world, but they are enemies of our Lord Jesus Christ, for they do pervert the word and the true thing, even (faith in) Jesus Christ. Keep yourselves therefore far from them, for death is in them, and great pollution and corruption, even in these on whom shall come judgement and the end and everlasting destruction.
8 Therefore have we not shrunk from writing unto you concerning the testimony of Christ our Saviour, of what he did, when we followed with him, how he enlightened our understanding . . . .
9 Concerning whom we testify that the Lord is he who was crucified by Pontius Pilate and Archelaus between the two thieves (and with them he was taken down from the tree of the cross, Eth.), and was buried in a place which is called the place of a skull (Kranion). And thither went three women, Mary, she that was kin to Martha, and Mary Magdalene (Sarrha, Martha, and Mary, Eth.), and took ointments to pour upon the body, weeping and mourning over that which was come to pass. And when they drew near to the sepulchre, they looked in and found not the body (Eth. they found the stone rolled away and opened the entrance).
10 And as they mourned and wept, the Lord showed himself unto them and said to them: For whom weep ye? weep no more I am he whom ye seek. But let one of you go to your brethren and say: Come ye, the Master is risen from the dead. Martha (Mary, Eth.) came and told us. We said unto her: What have we to do with thee, woman? He that is dead and buried, is it possible that he should live? And we believed her not that the Saviour was risen from the dead. Then she returned unto the Lord and said unto him: None of them hath believed me, that thou livest. He said: Let another of you go unto them and tell them again. Mary (Sarrha, Eth.) came and told us again, and we believed her not; and she returned unto the Lord and she also told him.
11 Then said the Lord unto Mary and her sisters: Let us go unto them. And he came and found us within (sitting veiled or fishing, Eth.), and called us out, but we thought that it was a phantom and believed not that it was the Lord. Then said he unto us: Come, fear ye not. I am your master, even he, O Peter, whom thou didst deny thrice; and dost thou now deny again? And we came unto him, doubting in our hearts whether it were he. Then said he unto us: Wherefore doubt ye still, and are unbelieving? I am he that spake unto you of my flesh and my death and my resurrection. But that ye may know that I am he, do thou, Peter, put thy finger into the print of the nails in mine hands, and thou also, Thomas, put thy finger into the wound of the spear in my side; but thou, Andrew, look on my feet and see whether they press the earth; for it is written in the prophet: A phantom of a devil maketh no footprint on the earth.
12 And we touched him, that we might learn of a truth whether he were risen in the flesh; and we fell on our faces (and worshipped him) confessing our sin, that we had been unbelieving. Then said our Lord and Saviour unto us: Rise up, and I will reveal unto you that which is above the heaven and in the heaven, and your rest which is in the kingdom of heaven. For my Father hath given me power (sent me, Eth.) to take you up thither, and them also that believe on me.
13 Now that which he revealed unto us is this, which he spake: It came to pass when I was about (minded) to come hither from the Father of all things, and passed through the heavens, then did I put on the wisdom of the Father, and I put on the power of his might. I was in heaven, and I passed by the archangels and the angels in their likeness, like as if I were one of them, among the princedoms and powers. I passed through them because I possessed the wisdom of him that had sent me. Now the chief captain of the angels, [is] Michael, and Gabriel and Uriel and Raphael followed me unto the fifth firmament (heaven), for they thought in their heart that I was one of them; such power was given me of my Father. And on that day did I adorn the archangels with a wonderful voice (so Copt.: Eth., Lat., I made them quake -amazed them), so that they should go unto the altar of the Father and serve and fulfil the ministry until I should return unto him. And so wrought I the likeness by my wisdom; for I became all things in all, that I might praise the dispensation of the Father and fulfil the glory of him that sent me (the verbs might well be transposed) and return unto him. (Here the Latin omits a considerable portion of text without notice, to near the beginning of c. 17.)
14 For ye know that the angel Gabriel brought the message unto Mary. And we answered: Yea, Lord. He answered and said unto us: Remember ye not, then, that I said unto you a little while ago: I became an angel among the angels, and I became all things in all? We said unto him: Yea, Lord. Then answered he and said unto us: On that day whereon I took the form of the angel Gabriel, I appeared unto Mary and spake with her. Her heart accepted me, and she believed (She believed and laughed, Eth.), and I formed myself and entered into her body. I became flesh, for I alone was a minister unto myself in that which concerned Mary (I was mine own messenger, Eth.) in the appearance of the shape of an angel. For so must I needs (or, was I wont to) do. Thereafter did I return to my Father (Copt. After my return to the Father, and run on).
15 But do ye commemorate my death. Now when the Passover (Easter, pascha) cometh, one of you shall be cast into prison for my names sake; and he will be in grief and sorrow, because ye keep the Easter while he is in prison and separated from you, for he will be sorrowful because he keepeth not Easter with you. And I will send my power in the form of mine angel Gabriel, and the doors of the prison shall open. And he shall come forth and come unto you and keep the night-watch with you until the cock crow. And when ye have accomplished the memorial which is made of me, and the Agape (love-feast), he shall again be cast into prison for a testimony, until he shall come out thence and preach that which I have delivered unto you.
And we said unto him: Lord, is it then needful that we should again take the cup and drink? (Lord, didst not thou thyself fulfil the drinking of the Passover? is it then needful that we should accomplish it again? Eth.) He said unto us: Yea, it is needful, until the day when I come again, with them that have been put to death for my sake (come with my wounds, Eth.).
16 Then said we to him: Lord, that which thou hast revealed unto us (revealest, Eth.) is great. Wilt thou come in the power of any creature or in an appearance of any kind? (In what power or form wilt thou come? Eth.) He answered and said unto us: Verily I say unto you, I shall come like the sun when it is risen, and my brightness will be seven times the brightness thereof! The wings of the clouds shall bear me in brightness, and the sign of the cross shall go before me, and I shall come upon earth to judge the quick and the dead.
17 We said unto him: Lord, after how many years shall this come to pass? He said unto us: When the hundredth part and the twentieth part is fulfilled, between the Pentecost and the feast of unleavened bread, then shall the coming of my Father be (so Copt.: When an hundred and fifty years are past, in the days of the feast of Passover and Pentecost, &c., Eth.: . . . (imperfect word) year is fulfilled, between the unleavened bread and Pentecost shall be the coming of my Father, lat.).3
We said unto him: Now sayest thou unto us: I will come; and how sayest thou: He that sent me is he that shall come? Then said he to us: I am wholly in the Father and my Father is in me. Then said we to him: Wilt thou indeed forsake us until thy coming? Where can we find a master? But he answered and said unto us: Know ye not, then, that like as until now I have been here, so also was I there, with him that sent me? And we said to him: Lord, is it then possible that thou shouldest be both here and there? But he answered us: I am wholly in the Father and the Father in me, because of (in regard of) the likeness of the form and the power and the fullness and the light and the full measure and the voice. I am the word, I am become unto him a thing, that is to say (word gone) of the thought, fulfilled in the type (likeness); I have come into the Ogdoad (eighth number), which is the Lord's day. [The Lord's day considered as the eighth day of the week.] (In place of these sentences Eth. has: I am of his resemblance and form, of his power and completeness, and of his light. I am his complete (fulfilled, entire) word.
18 But it came to pass after he was crucified, and dead and arisen again, when the work was fulfilled which was accomplished in the flesh, and he was crucified and the ascension come to pass at the end of the days, then said he thus, &c. It is an interpolation, in place of words which the translator did not understand, or found heretical.) But the whole fulfilment of the fulfilment shall ye see after the redemption which hath come to pass by me, and ye shall see me, how I go up unto my Father which is in heaven. But behold, now, I give unto you a new commandment: Love one another and [a leaf lost in Copt.] obey one another, that peace may rule always among you. Love your enemies, and what ye would not that man do unto you, that do unto no man.
19 And this preach ye also and teach them that believe on me and preach the kingdom of heaven of my Father, and how my Father hath given me the power, that ye may bring near the children of my heavenly Father. Preach ye, and they shall obtain faith, that ye may be they for whom it is ordained that they shall bring his children unto heaven.
And we said unto him: Lord, unto thee it is possible to accomplish that whereof thou tellest us, but how shall we be able to do it? He said to us: Verily I say unto you, preach and proclaim as I command you, for I will be with you, for it is my good pleasure to be with you, that ye may be heirs with me in the kingdom of heaven, even the kingdom of him that sent me. Verily I say unto you, ye shall be my brethren and my friends for my Father hath found pleasure in you: and so also shall they be that believe on me by your means. Verily I say unto you such and so great joy hath my Father prepared for you that the angels and the powers desired and do desire to see it and look upon it; but it is not given unto them to behold the glory of my Father. We said unto him: Lord, what is this whereof thou speakest to us?
Copt. begins again: words are missing.
He answered us: Ye shall behold a light, more excellent than that which shineth . . . (shineth more brightly than the light, and is more perfect than perfection. And the Son shall become perfect through the Father who is Light, for the Father is perfect which bringeth to pass death and resurrection, and ye shall see a perfection more perfect than the perfect. And I am wholly at the right hand of the Father, even in him that maketh perfect. So Eth.: Copt. has gaps).
And we said unto him: Lord, in all things art thou become salvation and life unto us, for that thou makest known such a hope unto us. And he said to us: Be of good courage and rest in me. Verily I say unto you, your rest shall be above (?), in the place where is neither eating nor drinking, nor care (Copt. joy) nor sorrow, nor passing away of them that are therein: for ye shall have no part in (the things of earth, Eth.) but ye shall be received in the everlastingness of my Father. Like as I am in him, so shall ye also be in me.
Again we said unto him: In what form? in the fashion of angels, or in flesh? And he answered and said unto us: Lo, I have put on your flesh, wherein I was born and crucified, and am risen again through my Father which is in heaven, that the prophecy of David the prophet might be fulfilled, in regard of that which was declared concerning me and my death and resurrection, saying:
Lord, they are increased that fight with me, and many are they that are risen up against me. Many there be that say to my soul: There is no help for him in his God.But thou, O Lord, art my defender: thou art my worship, and the lifter up of my head.I did call upon the Lord with my voice and he heard me (out of the high place of his temple, Eth.). I laid me down and slept,and rose up again: for thou,O Lord, art my defender. I will not be afraid for ten thousands of the people, that have set themselves against me round about. Up, Lord, and help me, O my God: for thou hast smitten down all them that without cause are mine enemies: thou hast broken the teeth of the ungodly. Salvation belongeth unto the Lord, and his good pleasure is upon his people (Ps. iii. 1-8).
If, therefore, all the words which were spoken by the prophets have been fulfilled in me (for I myself was in them), how much more shall that which I say unto you come to pass indeed, that he which sent me may be glorified by you and by them that believe on me?
20 And when he had said this unto us, we said to him: In all things hast thou had mercy on us and saved us, and hast revealed all things unto us; but yet would we ask of thee somewhat if thou give us leave. And he said unto us: I know that ye pay heed, and that your heart is well-pleased when ye hear me: now concerning that which ye desire, I will speak good words unto you. 21 For verily I say unto you: Like as my Father hath raised me from the dead, so shall ye also rise (in the flesh, Eth.) and be taken up into the highest heaven, unto the place whereof I have told you from the beginning, unto the place which he who sent me hath prepared for you. And so will I accomplish all dispensations (all grace, Eth.), even I who am unbegotten and yet begotten of mankind, who am without flesh and yet have borne flesh : for to that end am I come, that (gap in Copt.: Eth. continues) ye might rise from the dead in your flesh, in the second birth, even a vesture that shall not decay, together with all them that hope and believe in him that sent me: for so is the will of my Father that I would give unto you, and unto them whom it pleaseth me, the hope of the kingdom.
Then said we unto him: Great is that which thou sufferest us to hope, and tellest us. And he answered and said: Believe ye that every thing that I tell you shall come to pass? We answered and said: Yea, Lord. (Copt. resumes for a few lines: then another gap. Follow Eth.) He said unto us: Verily I say unto you, that I have obtained the whole power of my Father, that I may bring back into light them that dwell in darkness, them that are in corruption into incorruption, them that are in death into life and that I may loose them that are in fetters. For that which is impossible with men, is possible with the Father. I am the hope of them that despair, the helper of them that have no saviour, the wealth of the poor, the health of the sick, and the resurrection of the dead.
22 When he had thus said, we said unto him: Lord, is it true that the flesh shall be judged together with the soul and the spirit and that the one part shall rest in heaven and the other part be punished everlastingly yet living? And he said unto us: (Copt. resumes) How long will ye inquire and doubt?
23 Again we said unto him: Lord, there is necessity upon us to inquire of thee -because thou hast commanded us to preach- that we ourselves may learn assuredly of thee and be profitable preachers, and that they which are instructed by us may believe in thee. Therefore must we needs inquire of thee.
24 He answered us and said: Verily I say unto you, the resurrection of the flesh shall come to pass with the soul therein and the spirit. And we said unto him: Lord, is it then possible that that which is dissolved and brought to nought should become whole? and we ask thee not as unbelieving, neither as if it were impossible unto thee; but verily we believe that that which thou sayest shall come to pass. And he was wroth with us and said: O ye of little faith, how long will ye ask questions? But what ye will, tell it me, and I myself will tell you without grudging: only keep ye my commandments and do that which I bid you, and turn not away your face from any man, that I turn not my face away from you, but without shrinking and fear and without respect of persons, minister ye in the way that is direct and narrow and strait. So shall my Father himself rejoice over you.
25 Again we said unto him: Lord, already are we ashamed that we question thee oft-times and burden thee. And he answered and said unto us: I know that in faith and with your whole heart ye do question me, therefore do I rejoice over you for verily I say unto you: I rejoice, and my Father that is in me, because ye question me; and your importunity (shamelessness) is unto me rejoicing and unto you it giveth life. And when he had so said unto us, we were glad that we had questioned him and we said to him: Lord, in all things thou makest us alive and hast mercy on us. Wilt thou now declare unto us that which we shall ask thee? Then said he unto us: Is it the flesh that passeth away, or is it the spirit? We said unto him: The flesh is it that passeth away. Then said he unto us: That which hath fallen shall rise again, and that which was lost shall be found, and that which was weak shall recover, that in these things that are so created the glory of my Father may be revealed. As he hath done unto me, so will I do unto all that believe in me.
26 Verily I say unto you: the flesh shall arise, and the soul, alive, that their defence may come to pass on that day in regard of that that they have done, whether it be good or evil: that there may be a choosing-out of the faithful who have kept the commandments of my Father that sent me; and so shall the judgement be accomplished with strictness. For my Father said unto me: My Son, in the day of judgement thou shalt have no respect for the rich, neither pity for the poor, but according to the sins of every man shalt thou deliver him unto everlasting torment. But unto my beloved that have done the commandments of my Father that sent me will I give the rest of life in the kingdom of my Father which is in heaven, and they shall behold that which he hath given me. And he hath given me authority to do that which I will, and to give that which I have promised and determined to give and grant unto them.
27 For to that end went I down unto the place of Lazarus, and preached unto the righteous and the prophets, that they might come out of the rest which is below and come up into that which is above; and I poured out upon them with my right hand the water (?) (baptism, Eth.) of life and forgiveness and salvation from all evil, as I have done unto you and unto them that believe on me. But if any man believe on me and do not my commandments, although he have confessed my name, he hath no profit therefrom but runneth a vain race: for such will find themselves in perdition and destruction, because they have despised my commandments.
28 But so much the more have I redeemed you, the children of light, from all evil and from the authority of the rulers (archons), and every one that believeth on me by your means. For that which I have promised unto you will I give unto them also, that they may come out of the prison-house and the fetters of the rulers. We answered and said: Lord thou hast given unto us the rest of life and hast given us <Joy? by wonders, unto the confirmation of faith: wilt thou now preach the same unto us, seeing that thou hast preached it unto the and the prophets? Then said he unto us: Verily I say unto you, all that have believed on me and that believe in him that sent me will I take up into the heaven, unto the place which my Father hath prepared for the elect, and I will give you the kingdom, the chosen kingdom, in rest, and everlasting life.
29 But all they that have offended against my commandments and have taught other doctrine, (perverting) the Scripture and adding thereto, striving after their own glory, and that teach with other words them that believe on me in uprightness, ie they make them fall thereby, shall receive everlasting punishment. We said unto him: Lord, shall there then be teaching by others, diverse from that which thou hast spoken unto us? He said unto us: It must needs be, that the evil and the good may be made manifest; and the judgement shall be manifest upon them that do these things, and according to their works shall they be judged and shall be delivered unto death.
Again we said unto him: Lord, blessed are we in that we see thee and hear thee declaring such things, for our eyes have beheld these great wonders that thou hast done. He answered and said unto us: Yea, rather blessed are they that have not seen and yet have believed for they shall be called children of the kingdom, and they shall be perfect among the perfect, and I will be unto them life in the kingdom of my Father.
Again we said unto him: Lord, how shall men be able to believe that thou wilt depart and leave us; for thou sayest unto us: There shall come a day and an hour when I shall ascend unto my Father?
30 But he said unto us: Go ye and preach unto the twelve tribes, and preach also unto the heathen, and to all the land of Israel from the east to the west and from the south unto the north, and many shall believe on the Son of God. But we said unto him: Lord, who will believe us, or hearken unto us, or (how shall we be able, Eth.) to teach the powers and signs and wonders which thou hast done? Then answered he and said to us: Go ye and preach the mercifulness of my Father, and that which he hath done through me will I myself do through you, for I am in you, and I will give you my peace, and I will give you a power of my spirit, that ye may prophesy to them unto life eternal. And unto the others also will I give my power, that they may teach the residue of the peoples.
(Six leaves lost in Copt.: Eth. continues.)
31 And behold a man shall meet you, whose name is Saul which being interpreted is Paul: he is a Jew, circumcised according to the law, and he shall receive my voice from heaven with fear and terror and trembling. And his eyes shall be blinded and by your hands by the sign of the cross shall they be protected (healed: other Eth. MSS. with spittle by your hands shall his eyes &c.). Do ye unto him all that I have done unto you. Deliver it (? the word of God) unto the other. And at the same time that man shall open his eyes and praise the Lord, even my Father which is in heaven. He shall obtain power among the people and shall preach and instruct; and many that hear him shall obtain glory and be redeemed. But thereafter shall men be wroth with him and deliver him into the hands of his enemies, and he shall bear witness before kings that are mortal, and his end shall he that he shall turn unto me, whereas he persecuted me at the first. He shall preach and teach and abide with the elect, as a chosen vessel and a wall that shall not be overthrown, yea, the last of the last shall become a preacher unto the Gentiles, made perfect by the will of my Father. Like as ye have learned from the Scripture that your fathers the prophets spake of me, and in me it is indeed fulfilled.
And he said unto us: Be ye also therefore guides unto them; and all things that I said unto you, and that ye write concerning me (tell ye them), that I am the word of the Father and that the Father is in me. Such also shall ye be unto that man, as becometh you. Instruct him and bring to his mind that which is spoken of me in the Scripture and is fulfilled, and thereafter shall he become the salvation of the Gentiles.
32 And we asked him: Lord, is there for us and for them the self-same expectation of the inheritance? He answered and said unto us: Are then the fingers of the hand like unto each other, or the ears of corn in the field, or do all fruit-trees bear the same fruit? Doth not every one bear fruit according to its nature? And we said unto him: Lord, wilt thou again speak unto us in parables? Then said he unto us: Lament not. Verily I say unto you, ye are my brethren, and my companions in the kingdom of heaven unto my Father, for so is his good pleasure. Verily I say unto you, unto them also whom ye teach and who believe on me will I give that expectation.
33 And we asked him again: When shall we meet with that man, and when wilt thou depart unto thy Father and our God and Lord? He answered and said unto us: That man will come out of the land of Cilicia unto Damascus of Syria, to root up the church which ye must found there. It is I that speak through you; and he shall come quickly: and he shall become strong in the faith, that the word of the prophet may be fulfilled, which saith: Behold, out of Syria will I begin to call together a new Jerusalem, and Sion will I subdue unto me, and it shall be taken, and the place which is childless shall be called the son and daughter of my Father, and my bride. For so hath it pleased him that sent me. But that man will I turn back, that he accomplish not his evil desire, and the praise of my Father shall be perfected in him, and after that I am gone home and abide with my Father, I will speak unto him from heaven, and all things shall be accomplished which I have told you before concerning him.
34 And we said unto him again: Lord, so many great things hast thou told us and revealed unto us as never yet were spoken, and in all hast thou given us rest and been gracious unto us. After thy resurrection thou didst reveal unto us all things that we might be saved indeed; but thou saidst unto us only: There shall be wonders and strange appearances in heaven and on earth before the end of the world come. Tell us now, how shall we perceive it? And he answered us: I will teach it you; and not that which shall befall you only, but them also whom ye shall teach and who shall believe, as well as them who shall hear that man and believe on me. In those years and days shall it come to pass.
And we said again unto him: Lord, what shall come to pass? And he said unto us: Then shall they that believe and they that believe not hear (see Eth.) a trumpet in the heaven, a vision of great stars which shall be seen in the day, wonderful sights in heaven reaching down to the earth; stars which fall upon the earth like fire, and a great and mighty hail of fire (a star shining from the east unto this place, like unto fire, Eth. 2). The sun and the moon fighting one with the other, a continual rolling and noise of thunders and lightnings, thunder and earthquake; cities falling and men perishing in their overthrow, a continual dearth for lack of rain, a terrible pestilence and great mortality, mighty and untimely, so that they that die lack burial: and the bearing forth of brethren and sisters and kinsfolk shall be upon one bier. The kinsman shall show no favour to his kinsman,nor any man to his neighbour. And they that were overthrown shall rise up and behold them that overthrew them, that they lack burial, for the pestilence shall be full of hatred and pain and envy: and men shall take from one and give to another. And thereafter shall it wax yet worse than before. (Bewail ye them that have not hearkened unto my commandments, Eth. 2.)
35 Then shall my Father be wroth at the wickedness of men, for many are their transgressions, and the abomination of their uncleanness weigheth heavy upon them in the corruption of their life.
And we asked him: What of them that trust in thee? He answered and said unto us: Ye are yet slow of heart; and how long? Verily I say unto you, as the prophet David spake of me and of my people, so shall it be (?) for them also that believe on me. But they that are deceivers in the world and enemies of righteousness, upon them shall come the fulfilment of the prophecy of David, who said: Their feet are swift to shed blood, their tongue uttereth slander, adders' poison is under their lips. I behold thee companying with thieves, and partaking with adulterers, thou continuest speaking against thy brother and puttest stumbling blocks before thine own mother's son. What thinkest thou that I shall be like unto thee? Behold now how the prophet of God hath spoken of all, that all things may be fulfilled which he said aforetime.
36 And again we said unto him: Lord, will not then the nations say: Where is their God? And he answered and said unto us: Thereby shall the elect be known, that they being plagued with such afflictions, come forth. We said: Will then their departure out of the world be by a pestilence which giveth them pain? He answered us: Nay, but if they suffer such affliction, it will be a proving of them, whether they have faith and remember these my sayings, and fulfil my commandments. These shall arise, and short will be their expectation, that he may be glorified that sent me, and I with him. For he hath sent me unto you to tell you these things; and that ye may impart them unto Israel and the Gentiles and they may hear, and they also be redeemed and believe on me and escape the woe of the destruction. But whoso escapeth from the destruction of death, him will they take and hold him fast in the prison-house in torments like the torments of a thief.
And we said unto him: Lord, will they that believe be treated like the unbelievers, and wilt thou punish them that have escaped from the pestilence? And he said unto us: If they that believe in my name deal like the sinners, then have they done as though they had not believed. And we said again to him: Lord, have they on whom this lot hath fallen no life? He answered and said unto us: Whoso hath accomplished the praise of my Father, he shall abide in the resting-place of my Father.
37 Then said we unto him: Lord, teach us what shall come to pass thereafter? And he answered us: In those years and days shall war be kindled upon war; the four ends of the earth shall be in commotion and fight against each other. Thereafter shall be quakings of clouds (or, clouds of locusts), darkness, and dearth, and persecutions of them that believe on me and against the elect. Thereupon shall come doubt and strife and transgressions against one another. And there shall be many that believe on my name and yet follow after evil and spread vain doctrine. And men shall follow after them and their riches, and be subject unto their pride, and lust for drink, and bribery, and there shall be respect of persons among them.
38 But they that desire to behold the face of God and respect not the persons of the rich sinners, and are not ashamed before the people that lead them astray, but rebuke (?) them, they shall be crowned by the Father. And they also shall be saved that rebuke their neighbours, for they are sons of wisdom. and of faith. But if they become not children of wisdom, whoso hateth his brother and persecuteth him and showeth him no favour, him will God despise and reject.
(Copt. resumes.)
But they that walk in truth and in the knowledge of the faith, and have love towards me -for they have endured insult- they shall be praised for that they walk in poverty and endure them that hate them and put them to shame. Men have stripped them naked, for they despised them because they continued in hunger and thirst, but after they have endured patiently, they shall have the blessedness of heaven, and they shall be with me for ever. But woe unto them that walk in pride and boasting, for their end is perdition.
39 And we said unto him: Lord, is this thy purpose, that thou leavest us, to come upon them? (Will all this come to pass, Eth.) He answered and said unto us: After what manner shall he judgement be? whether righteous or unrighteous? (In Copt. and Eth. the general sense is the same: but the answer of Jesus in the form of a question is odd, and there is probably a corruption.)
We said unto him: Lord, in that day they will say unto thee: Thou hast not distinguished between ( probably: will they not say unto thee: Thou hast distinguished between) righteousness and unrighteousness, between the light and the darkness, and evil and good? Then said he: I will answer them and say: Unto Adam was power given to choose one of the two: he chose the light and laid his hand thereon, but the darkness he left behind him and cast away from him. Therefore have all men power to believe in the light which is life, and which is the Father that hath sent me. And every one that believeth and doeth the works of the light shall live in them, but if there be any that confesseth that he belongeth unto the light, and doeth the works of darkness, such an one hath no defence to utter, neither can he lift up his face to look upon the Son of God, which Son am I. For I will say unto him: As thou soughtest, so hast thou found, and as thou askedst, so hast thou received. Wherefore condemnest thou me, O man? Wherefore hast thou departed from me and denied me? And wherefore hast thou confessed me and yet denied me? hath not every man power to live and to die?
Whoso then hath kept my commandments shall be a son of the light, that is, of the Father that is in me. But because of them that corrupt my words am I come down from heaven. I am the word: I became flesh, and I wearied myself (or, suffered) and taught, saying: The heavy laden shall be saved, and they that are gone astray shall go astray for ever. They shall be chastised and tormented in their flesh and in their soul.
40 And we said unto him: O Lord, verily we are sorrowful for their sake. And he said unto us: Ye do rightly, for the righteous are sorry for the sinners, and pray for them, making prayer unto my Father. Again we said unto him: Lord, is there none that maketh intercession unto thee (so Eth.)? And he said unto us: Yea, and I will hearken unto the prayer of the righteous which they make for them.
When he had so said unto us, we said to him: Lord, in all things hast thou taught us and had mercy on us and saved us that we might preach unto them that are worthy to be saved, and that we might obtain a recompense with thee. (Shall we be partakers of a recompense from thee? Eth.) 41 He answered and said unto us: Go and preach, and ye shall be labourers, and fathers, and ministers. We said unto him: Thou art he (or, Art thou he) that shalt preach by us. (Lord, thou art our father. Eth.) Then answered he us, saying: Be not (or, Are not ye) all fathers or all masters. (Are then all fathers, or all servants, or all masters? Eth.) We said unto him: Lord, thou art he that saidst unto us: Call no man your father upon earth, for one is your Father, which is in heaven, and your master. Therefore sayest thou now unto us: Ye shall be fathers of many children, and servants and masters? He answered and said unto us: According as ye have said (Ye have rightly said, Eth.). For verily I say unto you: whosoever shall hear you and believe on me, shall receive of you the light of the seal through me, and baptism through me: ye shall be fathers and servants and masters.
42 But we said unto him: Lord, how may it be that every one of us should be these three? He said unto us: Verily I say unto you: Ye shall be called fathers, because with praiseworthy heart and in love ye have revealed unto them the things of the kingdom of heaven. And ye shall be called servants, because they shall receive the baptism of life and the remission of their sins at my hand through you. And ye shall be called masters because ye have given them the word without grudging, and have admonished them, and when ye admonished them, they turned themselves (were converted). Ye were not afraid of their riches, nor ashamed before their face, but ye kept the commandments of my Father and fulfilled them. And ye shall have a great reward with my Father which is in heaven, and they shall have forgiveness of sins and everlasting life, and be partakers in the kingdom of heaven.
And we said unto him: Lord, even if every one of us had ten thousand tongues to speak withal, we could not thank thee, for that thou promisest such things unto us. Then answered he us, saying: Only do ye that which I say unto you, even as I myself also have done it. 43 And ye shall be like the wise virgins which watched and slept not, but went forth unto the lord into the bride chamber: but the foolish virgins were not able to watch, but slumbered. And we said unto him: Lord, who are the wise and who are the foolish? He said unto us: Five wise and five foolish; for these are they of whom the prophet hath spoken: Sons of ; God are they. Hear now their names.
But we wept and were troubled for them that slumbered. He said unto us: The five wise are Faith and Love and Grace and Peace and Hope. Now they of the faithful which possess this (these) shall be guides unto them that have believed on me and on him that sent me. For I am the Lord and I am the bridegroom whom they have received, and they have entered in to the house of the bridegroom and are laid down with me in the bridal chamber rejoicing. But the five foolish, when they had slept and had awaked, came unto the door of the bridal chamber and knocked, for the doors were shut. Then did they weep and lament that no man opened unto them.
We said unto him: Lord, and their wise sisters that were within in the bridegroom's house, did they continue without opening unto them, and did they not sorrow for their sakes nor entreat the bridegroom to open unto them? He answered us saying: They were not yet able to obtain favour for them. We said unto him: Lord, on what day shall they enter in for their sisters' sake? Then said he unto us: He that is shut out, is shut out. And we said unto him: Lord, is this word (determined?). Who then are the foolish? He said unto us: Hear their names. They are Knowledge, Understanding (Perception) Obedience, Patience, and Compassion. These are they that slumbered in them that have believed and confessed me but have not fulfilled my commandments. 44 On account of them that have slumbered, they shall remain outside the kingdom and the fold of the shepherd and his sheep. But whoso shall abide outside the sheepfold, him will the wolves devour, and he shall be (condemned?) and die in much affliction: in him shall be no rest nor endurance, and (Eth.) although he be hardly punished, and rent in pieces and devoured in long and evil torment, yet shall he not be able to obtain death quickly.
45 And we said unto him: Lord, well hast thou revealed all this unto us. Then answered he us, saying: Understand ye not (or. Ye understand not) these words? We said unto him: Yea Lord. By five shall men enter into thy kingdom : notwithstanding, they that watched were with thee the Lord and bridegroom, even though they rejoiced not because of them that slumbered (yet will they have no pleasures because of, Eth.). He said unto us: They will indeed rejoice that they have entered in with the bridegroom the Lord; and they are sorrowful because of them that slumbered, for they are their sisters. For all ten are daughters of God, even the Father. Then said we unto him: Lord is it then for thee to show them favour on account of their sisters? (It becometh thy majesty to show them favour, Eth.) He said unto us: but his that sent me, and I am consenting with him (It is not yours,& c., Eth.).
46 But be ye upright and preach rightly and teach, and be not abashed by any man and fear not any man, and especially the rich, for they do not my commandments, but boast themselves (swell) in their riches. And we said unto him: Lord, tell us if it be the rich only. He answered, saying unto us: If any man who is not rich and possesseth a small livelihood giveth unto the poor and needy, men will call him a benefactor.
47 But if any man fall under the load of sin that he hath committed, then shall his neighbour correct him because of the good that he hath done unto his neighbour. And if his neighbour correct him and he return, he shall be saved, and he that corrected him shall receive a reward and live for ever. For a needy man, if he see him that hath done him good sin and correct him not, shall be judged with severe judgement. Now if a blind man lead a blind, they both fall into a ditch: and whoso respecteth persons for their sake, shall be as the two , as the prophet hath said: Woe unto them that respect persons and justify the ungodly for reward, even they whose God is their belly. Behold that judgement shall be their portion. For verily I say unto you: On that day will I neither have respect unto the rich nor pity for the poor.
48 If thou behold a sinner, admonish him betwixt him and thee: (if he hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother, Eth.) and if he hear thee not, then take to thee another, as many as three, and instruct thy brother: again, if he hear thee not, let him be unto thee
(Copt. defective from this point.)
as an heathen man or a publican.
49 If thou hear aught against thy brother, give it no credence; slander not, and delight not in hearing slander. For thus it is written: Suffer not thine ear to receive aught against thy brother: but if thou seest aught correct him, rebuke him and convert him.
And we said unto him: Lord, thou hast in ail things taught us and warned us. But, Lord, concerning the believers, even them to whom it belongeth to believe in the preaching of thy name: is it determined that among them also there shall be doubt and division, jealousy confusion, hatred, and envy? For thou sayest: They shall find fault with one another and respect the person of them that sin, and hate them that rebuke them. And he answered and said unto us: How then shall the judgement come about, that the corn should be gathered into the garner and the chaff thereof cast into the fire?
50 They that hate such things, and love me and rebuke them that fulfil not my commandments, shall be hated and persecuted and despised and mocked. Men will of purpose speak of them that which is not true, and will band themselves together against them that love me. But these will rebuke them, that they may be saved. But them that will rebuke and chasten and warn them, them will they (the others) hate, and thrust them aside, and despise them, and hold themselves far from them that wish them good. But they that endure such things shall be like unto the martyrs with the Father, because they have striven for righteousness, and have not striven for corruption.
And we asked him: Lord, shall such things be among us? And he answered us: Fear not; it shall not be in many, but in a few. We said unto him: Yet tell us, in what manner it shall come to pass. And he said unto us: There shall come forth another doctrine, and a confusion, and because they shall strive after their own advancement, they shall bring forth an unprofitable doctrine. And therein shall be a deadly corruption (of uncleanness), and they shall teach it, and shall turn away them that believe on me from my commandments and cut them off from eternal life. But woe unto them that falsify this my word and commandment, and draw away them that hearken to them from the life of the doctrine and separate themselves from the commandment of life: for together with them they shall come into everlasting judgement.
51 And when he had said this, and had finished his discourse with us, he said unto us again: Behold, on the third day and at the third hour shall he come which hath sent me, that I may depart with him. And as he so spake, there was thunder and lightning and an earthquake, and the heavens parted asunder and there appeared a light (bright) cloud which bore him up. And there came voices of many angels, rejoicing and singing praises and saying: Gather us, O Priest, unto the light of the majesty. And when they drew nigh unto the firmament, we heard his voice saying unto us: Depart hence in peace.
APOSTOLIC CHURCH RULES
Behold, ye sons and daughters of the Church, in the name of our Lord Jesus the Christ, John, Matthew, Peter, and Philip, and Andrew, and Simeon, and James, and Jude the son of James; with Nathanael, and Thomas and Bartholomew and Matthia, all of us gathered together by command of our Lord Jesus the Christ our Saviour, according as He commanded us, that before ye are ready to divide anything by lot, for eparchies, ye shall count the places of the numbers, the authorities of the Bishops, the seats of the Elders, the continual offerings of the Deacons, the admonitions of the Readers, the blamelessnesses of the Widows, and all the things that are fitting to the foundation and confirmation of the Church, according as they already know the type of heavenly things. Let them take care and keep themselves from all error, knowing that they have an account to give in the great day of judgment concerning the things that having heard they have not kept They commanded us Ho confirm’ His words in all places. It appeared to us therefore, about the reminding and admonition of the brethren, that as to each one of us our Lord revealed as the will of God by means of the Holy Ghost these words of remembrance, we should command you. John said, Men, brethren, knowing that we are about to give account concerning those things that were commanded us, do not accept one another’s persons, but if a man thinks good to say anything that is not thine, let someone speak adversely to him in opposition. It pleased them all that John should speak first
John said:
There are two ways, one of life and one of death, but the differences are many between these two ways; for the way of life is this, first, that thou shalt love God, Him who has made thee, with all thy heart, and glorify Him who has redeemed thee from death, which is the first commandment. But secondly, that thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, which is the second commandment, those on which hang all the Law and the Prophets.
Matthew said:
All those things that thou dost not wish to happen to thee, do not thou also do to others. That therefore which thou hatest, that shalt thou not do to others. O our brother Peter, teli thou the doctrine of these words.
Peter said:
Thou shalt not kill. Thou shalt not commit adultery. Thou shalt not commit fornication. Thou shalt not corrupt boys. Thou shalt not steal. Thou shalt not be a soothsayer. Thou shalt not use enchantments. Thou shalt not kill a child at its birth, nor after he is born shalt thou kill him. Thou shalt not covet what belongs to thy neighbours. Thou shalt not transgress oaths. Thou shalt not bear false witness. Thou shalt not say anything wickedly. Thou shalt not keep anger in thy heart Thou shalt not be double-minded, nor double-tongued, for doubleness of tongue is a snare of death. Thy word shall not be vain, nor false. Thou shalt not be avaricious nor rapacious. Thou shalt not be a respecter of persons, nor evil-minded, nor be a boaster, nor shalt thou receive evil^ about thy neighbour; neither shalt thou hate any one, but thou shalt reprove some, and have compassion on others, pray for some, love others more than thyself.
Andrew said:
My son, flee from all evil, and from all that resembles it; be not angry, for anger leads on to murder, for anger is a masculine demon. Be not jealous, but peaceful; nor quarrelsome, nor irritable; for from these things arises murder. Philip said, My son, be not licentious, for lust leadeth to fornication, and attracts men towards it, for lust is a feminine demon. One with anger, the other with mirth, they destroy those into whom they enter; for the way of an evil spirit is a sin of the soul, and when it has got a little entrance, it enlarges it as itself, and brings that soul to all evil things, and does not allow the man to look and see the truth. Let there be a measure for your wrath, rule it for a little time and repress it, lest it throw you into an evil deed. For anger is an evil enjoyment, [such as] when they remain with a man for a long season, become demons, and when a man allows them, they swell up in his soul, and become greater and lead him to the works of iniquity, also they laugh at him and enjoy themselves in the destruction of the man.
Simon the Zealot said:
My son, be not a necromancer, for this will lead thee to the worship of idols; nor an enchanter, nor one who teaches extraneous and heathenish doctrine, nor an augur, nor even seek to know these things; from all these things Comes the worship of idols.
James said:
My son, speak not foul and silly words, for these take one far from God, and be not haughty of eye, foreveryone that is haughty of eye falleth before God. Do not covet the wife of thy friend; do not love sodomy; from these things come adulteries and the wrath of God. Nathanael said, My son, be not false, for falsehood leads to theft, nor be a lover of money, nor vainglorious; from all these things come thefts. My son, be not a murmurer, for murmuring brings blasphemy, and be not proud^ nor arrogant, nor a contriver of evil things, for from all these things come blasphemies. Therefore be meek and humble, for the meek and humble shall inherit the Kingdom of Heaven; but be long suffering and merciful, a peace-maker, pure in heart from all evil, innocent, quiet, and gentle; it is good that thou shouldest attend and tremble at the words which thou hast heard. Do not exalt thyself, nor set thyself with the proud, but with the righteous, and have intercourse with the poor; and the events that happen to thee receive as good things, knowing that without God nothing happens.
Thomas said:
My son, he who speaks the Word of God, and is the cause of life to thee, and gives thee the seal that is in the Christ; love him as the apple of the eye; remember him then by night and by day; honour him moreover as of God, for where the Godhead is spoken of, there is the Lord. Thou shalt seek then his face daily; also the other Saints, that thou mayest be soothed by their words; for thou being joined to the Saints, art sanctified. Thou shalt honour him then as thou art able, by thy sweat and by the labour of thy hands. For if through him the Lord has honoured thee by giving thee spiritual food and the water of everlasting life, much more must thou offer him perishable and temporal food, for the labourer ìs worthy of his hire. The ox that grinds thou shalt not muzzle; and no one planteth a vineyard, and eateth not of its fruit.
Jude the son of James said:
My son, do not make schisms; cairn those who are quarrelling, and judge righteously. Be no respecter of persons in reproving a man who is in fault, for riches can have no power with the Lord, nor does the Lord give more honour to dignities, nor has beauty any advantage, but there is equality of all these things with Him. In thy prayer do not doubt which of them shall be yea, or nay. Let it not be that thou shouldest stretch out thine hand in order to receive, whilst the hand that giveth thou contractest. If there be [aught] in thy hands, give the redemption of thy sins, and do not hesitate to give, nor when thou givest murmur and tell. Know then who is the good payer of thy reward. Turn not thy face from the needy; share with thy brother in all things, and say not that they are thine own, for if ye are sharers in immortal things how much more in those that are perishable?
Bartholomew said:
We then persuade you, my brethren, that while it is yet time, and whilst ye have among you some of the things by which ye work, ye should not spare yourselves in anything whatever of what ye have, for the day of the Lord is at hand in which all these things will be destroyed together with the Wicked One. For our Lord shall come, and His reward with Him. To yourselves then be lawgivers; be good counsellors of yourselves, taught of God. Keep these things that thou hast received, not adding to them, and also not diminishing from them.
Matthias said about the Readers:
Let a Reader be appointed, having first been proved by many probations, not a talkative man, not a drunkard, not a speaker of laughable things; of good manner, of good disposition, persuadable, of good will; who in the Lord’s congregations on Sundays runs first, good at hearing, and as a maker of narratives; who knows that he takes the place of an Evangelist.
Peter said:
Brethren, other things concerning admonition the Scriptures teach, but let us command and teach the things that we have been commanded.
All of them said, Let Peter speak.
Peter said:
If there be (few people in a place,) and not many such as can make choice about a Bishop, nearly twelve men, let them write to those Churches that are near, where there is a Church founded, so that from thence may come three chosen and tried men, to prove him who is worthy; if he be a man who has a good report from the Gentiles; if he be without sin, if he be not irascible, if he be a lover of the poor, if he be chaste, if he be not a drunkard, nor a fornicator, not avaricious, nor a calumniator, nor a respecter of persons, nor anything like these. It is a good thing if he have no wife, or if not, that he have one wife; who is a sharer in discipline, who is able to explain the Scriptures, but if he know not letters, let him be meek and humble, and in love to all men let him abound, lest he be reproved about anything by the masses, let him be a Bishop.
John said:
Let the Bishop who is appointed, knowing the diligence and the love of God, and those who are with him, appoint two Elders, those whom he has proven.
All of them objected to this, and said:
Not two, but three, for there are twenty-four Elders, twelve on the right band and twelve on the left.
John said:
Well do ye remember, my Brethren, for those on the right band are those who having received (M. the vials) from the Archangels instead of a reward, which they offer to the Lord, but those on the left rule over many Angels. It is right that there should be Elders, those who formerly were for some time removed from the world, and in some way removed from intercourse with women, good at giving to the brethren, who do not accept any man’s person, sons of the Mystery of the Bishop, and his assistants in gathering the people together, who act promptly with the Pastor and serve him. Let the Elders who are on the right have the care of those who labour at the altar, so that they may give honour and blame, and may reprove in what is necessary. But let the Elders who are at the left have the care of the multitude of the people, so that there be good administration without tumult, they having leamt beforehand to conduct themselves with all submission. But if a man, having been admonished, give an answer (M. rebelliously), those who are at the altar, being of one opinion, shall judge him that is such with one mind, as he deserves, so that the others also may fear, lest they accept one another’s persona, and many think evil with the evildoers, and the evil spread like a gangrene, and all be taken captive.
James said (as Matthew on p. 15):
He that fills the ears of him that is ignorant of what is written is considered before God.
Matthew said:
Let three Deacons be appointed, for it is written that in the mouth of two or three every word of the Lord shall be established. Let them be those who are proved in all their service, that they may have witness from strangers and from the congregation, that they are [but once] married, and that their children are chaste, gentle, peaceable, not grumblers, not double-tongued, not wrathful, for wrath destroyeth a wise man; not respecters of the persons of the rich, nor oppressing the poor; not using much wine, very laborious and inventive in works that are hidden and good; inciters, obliging and constraining those of the brethren who have aught to stretch out their hands to give, and let them also be good givers, and communicators, that they may be honoured by the people with all possible honour and reverence, watching carefully for those who walk disorderly, dealing tenderly with some of them, and persuading others, inciting others with reproof, and others, who show complete contempt, excommunicating, knowing that those who are quarrelsome and contemptuous, and calumniators, are depraved, opposing themselves to the Christ.
Cephas said:
Let three Widows be appointed, two who shall be continually in prayer for all those who are in temptation and in regard to revelations and signs, for what is necessary, but one to he continually with the women who are tried by sickness, who is good at service, watchful to make known what is required to the Elders. [Let them] not be lovers of filthy lucre, not accustomed to much wine, so that they may be able to be watchful in the night services of the sick, and in any other good works that any one wishes to do, for these things are the first good treasures that are desirable.
Andrew said:
Let Deacons, doers of good works, go round to every place by night and by day, that they may not neglect the poor, nor accept the persons of the rich; let them recognize him who is in straits, and deprive him not of the blessings. Let them constrain those who are able to lay up for themselves treasures in good works, looking forward to the words of our Teacher, that ye saw Me hungry, and fed Me not; for those who have served Him well and blamelessly, prepare for themselves a large place.
Philip said:
The laymen shall obey the commands for laymen, being submissive to those who serve continually at the altar. Everyone in his place shall please the Lord, not shewing enmity to one another concerning those things that are appointed, everyone in that wherein he has been called of God. Let not one persuade to the course of another, for the Angels also, beyond what is appointed to them, do no other things.
Andrew said:
It would be very good, my brethren, that we should appoint women as Deaconesses.
Peter said:
As we have commanded and appointed all these things, and arrived at this point, let us in truth make known accurately about the offerings of the Body and Blood.
John said:
It has escaped you, my brethren, that when our Teacher asked for the Bread and the Cup, and blessed them saying, This is my Body and my Blood, He did not allow these to remain with us.
Martha said about Mary:
I saw her laughing between her teeth joyfully.
Mary said:
I did not surely laugh, but I remembered the words of our Lord, and I rejoiced, for ye know that He said to us before, when He was teaching. He that is weak shall be saved by means of the strong.
Cephas said:
We ought to remember the single things, for it is not fitting for women to take the communion with heads uncovered, but having covered their heads.
James said:
How then can we define any service for the women, except only some service of strengthening and helping those women who are in want?
Philip said:
Now, my brethren, let us say this to you, in regard to the participation in gifts. He that doeth good works, lays up and prepares good treasures for himself, for he who lays up for himself treasures in the Kingdom shall be counted as a workman (it is written) before God.
Peter said:
These things, my brother, we do not command as necessary from the power that we have over men, but as we have a commandment from the Lord, our Lord, we persuade you to keep the commandments, not diminishing aught from them nor adding aught.
In the name of our Lord Jesus the Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever.
Amen.
John said:
There are two ways, one of life and one of death, but the differences are many between these two ways; for the way of life is this, first, that thou shalt love God, Him who has made thee, with all thy heart, and glorify Him who has redeemed thee from death, which is the first commandment. But secondly, that thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, which is the second commandment, those on which hang all the Law and the Prophets.
Matthew said:
All those things that thou dost not wish to happen to thee, do not thou also do to others. That therefore which thou hatest, that shalt thou not do to others. O our brother Peter, teli thou the doctrine of these words.
Peter said:
Thou shalt not kill. Thou shalt not commit adultery. Thou shalt not commit fornication. Thou shalt not corrupt boys. Thou shalt not steal. Thou shalt not be a soothsayer. Thou shalt not use enchantments. Thou shalt not kill a child at its birth, nor after he is born shalt thou kill him. Thou shalt not covet what belongs to thy neighbours. Thou shalt not transgress oaths. Thou shalt not bear false witness. Thou shalt not say anything wickedly. Thou shalt not keep anger in thy heart Thou shalt not be double-minded, nor double-tongued, for doubleness of tongue is a snare of death. Thy word shall not be vain, nor false. Thou shalt not be avaricious nor rapacious. Thou shalt not be a respecter of persons, nor evil-minded, nor be a boaster, nor shalt thou receive evil^ about thy neighbour; neither shalt thou hate any one, but thou shalt reprove some, and have compassion on others, pray for some, love others more than thyself.
Andrew said:
My son, flee from all evil, and from all that resembles it; be not angry, for anger leads on to murder, for anger is a masculine demon. Be not jealous, but peaceful; nor quarrelsome, nor irritable; for from these things arises murder. Philip said, My son, be not licentious, for lust leadeth to fornication, and attracts men towards it, for lust is a feminine demon. One with anger, the other with mirth, they destroy those into whom they enter; for the way of an evil spirit is a sin of the soul, and when it has got a little entrance, it enlarges it as itself, and brings that soul to all evil things, and does not allow the man to look and see the truth. Let there be a measure for your wrath, rule it for a little time and repress it, lest it throw you into an evil deed. For anger is an evil enjoyment, [such as] when they remain with a man for a long season, become demons, and when a man allows them, they swell up in his soul, and become greater and lead him to the works of iniquity, also they laugh at him and enjoy themselves in the destruction of the man.
Simon the Zealot said:
My son, be not a necromancer, for this will lead thee to the worship of idols; nor an enchanter, nor one who teaches extraneous and heathenish doctrine, nor an augur, nor even seek to know these things; from all these things Comes the worship of idols.
James said:
My son, speak not foul and silly words, for these take one far from God, and be not haughty of eye, foreveryone that is haughty of eye falleth before God. Do not covet the wife of thy friend; do not love sodomy; from these things come adulteries and the wrath of God. Nathanael said, My son, be not false, for falsehood leads to theft, nor be a lover of money, nor vainglorious; from all these things come thefts. My son, be not a murmurer, for murmuring brings blasphemy, and be not proud^ nor arrogant, nor a contriver of evil things, for from all these things come blasphemies. Therefore be meek and humble, for the meek and humble shall inherit the Kingdom of Heaven; but be long suffering and merciful, a peace-maker, pure in heart from all evil, innocent, quiet, and gentle; it is good that thou shouldest attend and tremble at the words which thou hast heard. Do not exalt thyself, nor set thyself with the proud, but with the righteous, and have intercourse with the poor; and the events that happen to thee receive as good things, knowing that without God nothing happens.
Thomas said:
My son, he who speaks the Word of God, and is the cause of life to thee, and gives thee the seal that is in the Christ; love him as the apple of the eye; remember him then by night and by day; honour him moreover as of God, for where the Godhead is spoken of, there is the Lord. Thou shalt seek then his face daily; also the other Saints, that thou mayest be soothed by their words; for thou being joined to the Saints, art sanctified. Thou shalt honour him then as thou art able, by thy sweat and by the labour of thy hands. For if through him the Lord has honoured thee by giving thee spiritual food and the water of everlasting life, much more must thou offer him perishable and temporal food, for the labourer ìs worthy of his hire. The ox that grinds thou shalt not muzzle; and no one planteth a vineyard, and eateth not of its fruit.
Jude the son of James said:
My son, do not make schisms; cairn those who are quarrelling, and judge righteously. Be no respecter of persons in reproving a man who is in fault, for riches can have no power with the Lord, nor does the Lord give more honour to dignities, nor has beauty any advantage, but there is equality of all these things with Him. In thy prayer do not doubt which of them shall be yea, or nay. Let it not be that thou shouldest stretch out thine hand in order to receive, whilst the hand that giveth thou contractest. If there be [aught] in thy hands, give the redemption of thy sins, and do not hesitate to give, nor when thou givest murmur and tell. Know then who is the good payer of thy reward. Turn not thy face from the needy; share with thy brother in all things, and say not that they are thine own, for if ye are sharers in immortal things how much more in those that are perishable?
Bartholomew said:
We then persuade you, my brethren, that while it is yet time, and whilst ye have among you some of the things by which ye work, ye should not spare yourselves in anything whatever of what ye have, for the day of the Lord is at hand in which all these things will be destroyed together with the Wicked One. For our Lord shall come, and His reward with Him. To yourselves then be lawgivers; be good counsellors of yourselves, taught of God. Keep these things that thou hast received, not adding to them, and also not diminishing from them.
Matthias said about the Readers:
Let a Reader be appointed, having first been proved by many probations, not a talkative man, not a drunkard, not a speaker of laughable things; of good manner, of good disposition, persuadable, of good will; who in the Lord’s congregations on Sundays runs first, good at hearing, and as a maker of narratives; who knows that he takes the place of an Evangelist.
Peter said:
Brethren, other things concerning admonition the Scriptures teach, but let us command and teach the things that we have been commanded.
All of them said, Let Peter speak.
Peter said:
If there be (few people in a place,) and not many such as can make choice about a Bishop, nearly twelve men, let them write to those Churches that are near, where there is a Church founded, so that from thence may come three chosen and tried men, to prove him who is worthy; if he be a man who has a good report from the Gentiles; if he be without sin, if he be not irascible, if he be a lover of the poor, if he be chaste, if he be not a drunkard, nor a fornicator, not avaricious, nor a calumniator, nor a respecter of persons, nor anything like these. It is a good thing if he have no wife, or if not, that he have one wife; who is a sharer in discipline, who is able to explain the Scriptures, but if he know not letters, let him be meek and humble, and in love to all men let him abound, lest he be reproved about anything by the masses, let him be a Bishop.
John said:
Let the Bishop who is appointed, knowing the diligence and the love of God, and those who are with him, appoint two Elders, those whom he has proven.
All of them objected to this, and said:
Not two, but three, for there are twenty-four Elders, twelve on the right band and twelve on the left.
John said:
Well do ye remember, my Brethren, for those on the right band are those who having received (M. the vials) from the Archangels instead of a reward, which they offer to the Lord, but those on the left rule over many Angels. It is right that there should be Elders, those who formerly were for some time removed from the world, and in some way removed from intercourse with women, good at giving to the brethren, who do not accept any man’s person, sons of the Mystery of the Bishop, and his assistants in gathering the people together, who act promptly with the Pastor and serve him. Let the Elders who are on the right have the care of those who labour at the altar, so that they may give honour and blame, and may reprove in what is necessary. But let the Elders who are at the left have the care of the multitude of the people, so that there be good administration without tumult, they having leamt beforehand to conduct themselves with all submission. But if a man, having been admonished, give an answer (M. rebelliously), those who are at the altar, being of one opinion, shall judge him that is such with one mind, as he deserves, so that the others also may fear, lest they accept one another’s persona, and many think evil with the evildoers, and the evil spread like a gangrene, and all be taken captive.
James said (as Matthew on p. 15):
He that fills the ears of him that is ignorant of what is written is considered before God.
Matthew said:
Let three Deacons be appointed, for it is written that in the mouth of two or three every word of the Lord shall be established. Let them be those who are proved in all their service, that they may have witness from strangers and from the congregation, that they are [but once] married, and that their children are chaste, gentle, peaceable, not grumblers, not double-tongued, not wrathful, for wrath destroyeth a wise man; not respecters of the persons of the rich, nor oppressing the poor; not using much wine, very laborious and inventive in works that are hidden and good; inciters, obliging and constraining those of the brethren who have aught to stretch out their hands to give, and let them also be good givers, and communicators, that they may be honoured by the people with all possible honour and reverence, watching carefully for those who walk disorderly, dealing tenderly with some of them, and persuading others, inciting others with reproof, and others, who show complete contempt, excommunicating, knowing that those who are quarrelsome and contemptuous, and calumniators, are depraved, opposing themselves to the Christ.
Cephas said:
Let three Widows be appointed, two who shall be continually in prayer for all those who are in temptation and in regard to revelations and signs, for what is necessary, but one to he continually with the women who are tried by sickness, who is good at service, watchful to make known what is required to the Elders. [Let them] not be lovers of filthy lucre, not accustomed to much wine, so that they may be able to be watchful in the night services of the sick, and in any other good works that any one wishes to do, for these things are the first good treasures that are desirable.
Andrew said:
Let Deacons, doers of good works, go round to every place by night and by day, that they may not neglect the poor, nor accept the persons of the rich; let them recognize him who is in straits, and deprive him not of the blessings. Let them constrain those who are able to lay up for themselves treasures in good works, looking forward to the words of our Teacher, that ye saw Me hungry, and fed Me not; for those who have served Him well and blamelessly, prepare for themselves a large place.
Philip said:
The laymen shall obey the commands for laymen, being submissive to those who serve continually at the altar. Everyone in his place shall please the Lord, not shewing enmity to one another concerning those things that are appointed, everyone in that wherein he has been called of God. Let not one persuade to the course of another, for the Angels also, beyond what is appointed to them, do no other things.
Andrew said:
It would be very good, my brethren, that we should appoint women as Deaconesses.
Peter said:
As we have commanded and appointed all these things, and arrived at this point, let us in truth make known accurately about the offerings of the Body and Blood.
John said:
It has escaped you, my brethren, that when our Teacher asked for the Bread and the Cup, and blessed them saying, This is my Body and my Blood, He did not allow these to remain with us.
Martha said about Mary:
I saw her laughing between her teeth joyfully.
Mary said:
I did not surely laugh, but I remembered the words of our Lord, and I rejoiced, for ye know that He said to us before, when He was teaching. He that is weak shall be saved by means of the strong.
Cephas said:
We ought to remember the single things, for it is not fitting for women to take the communion with heads uncovered, but having covered their heads.
James said:
How then can we define any service for the women, except only some service of strengthening and helping those women who are in want?
Philip said:
Now, my brethren, let us say this to you, in regard to the participation in gifts. He that doeth good works, lays up and prepares good treasures for himself, for he who lays up for himself treasures in the Kingdom shall be counted as a workman (it is written) before God.
Peter said:
These things, my brother, we do not command as necessary from the power that we have over men, but as we have a commandment from the Lord, our Lord, we persuade you to keep the commandments, not diminishing aught from them nor adding aught.
In the name of our Lord Jesus the Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever.
Amen.
The Apostolic Constitutions (or Constitutions of the Holy Apostles, lat. Constitutiones Apostolorum)
By Clement, Bishop And Citizen Of Rome (Pseudonym)
By Clement, Bishop And Citizen Of Rome (Pseudonym)
Table of Contents
BOOK I. Concerning The Laity
Book II. Concerning Bishops, Presbyters, And Deacons
Book III. Concerning Widows
Book IV. Concerning Orphans
Book V. Concerning Martyrs
Book VI. Concerning Schisms
Book VII. Concerning Deportment, And The Eucharist, And Initiation Into Christ
Book VIII. Concerning Gifts, And Ordinations, And Ecclesiastical Canons
Constitutions Of The Holy Apostles
By Clement, Bishop And Citizen Of Rome; Or, Catholic Doctrine
BOOK I. Concerning The Laity
Book II. Concerning Bishops, Presbyters, And Deacons
Book III. Concerning Widows
Book IV. Concerning Orphans
Book V. Concerning Martyrs
Book VI. Concerning Schisms
Book VII. Concerning Deportment, And The Eucharist, And Initiation Into Christ
Book VIII. Concerning Gifts, And Ordinations, And Ecclesiastical Canons
Constitutions Of The Holy Apostles
By Clement, Bishop And Citizen Of Rome; Or, Catholic Doctrine
BOOK I – Concerning The Laity
THE Apostles and Elders to all those who from among the Gentiles have believed in the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace and peace from the Almighty God, through our Lord Jesus Christ, be multiplied to you in the acknowledgment of him.
The catholic church is the plantation of God, and his beloved vineyard; containing those who have believed in his unerring divine religion; who are the heirs by faith of his everlasting kingdom; who are partakers of his divine influence, and of the communication of the Holy Spirit; who are armed and inwardly strengthened with his fear, through Jesus; who enjoy the benefit of the sprinkling of the precious and innocent blood of Christ; who have free liberty to call the Almighty God, Father; being fellow-heirs and joint partakers of his beloved Son. Hearken to the holy doctrine, ye who enjoy his promises, as being delivered by the command of your Saviour, and agreeable to his glorious words. Take care, ye children of God, to do all things in obedience to God; and in all things please Christ, who is our Lord. For if any man follow unrighteousness, and do those things that are contrary to the will of God, such a person will be accounted by God as the disobedient heathen.
Chapter I – Against Covetousness
ABSTAIN, therefore, from all unlawful desires and from injustice. For it is written in the Law, Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s wife, nor his field, nor his man-servant, nor his maid-servant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor anything that is thy neighbor’s; because all coveting of these things is from the evil one. For he that coveteth his neighbor’s wife, or his man-servant, or his maid-servant, is already in his mind an adulterer and a thief; and if he do not repent, he is condemned by our Lord Jesus Christ; through whom glory be to God forever. Amen. For he saith in the Gospel, recapitulating, and confirming, and fulfilling the Ten Commandments of the Law, It is written in the Law, Thou shalt not commit adultery: But I say unto you; that is, I said in the Law by Moses, but now I say unto you myself, Whosoever shall look on his neighbor’s wife to lust after her, hath committed adultery with her already in his heart. Such a man is condemned of adultery who coveteth his neighbor’s wife in his mind. But he that coveteth an ox or an ass, doth not he design to steal them? To apply them to his own use, and to lead them away? Or again, he that coveteth a field, and continueth in such a disposition, doth not he wickedly contrive how to remove the landmarks, and so compel the possessor to part with somewhat for nothing? For the prophet somewhere saith, Woe to those who join house to house, and lay field to field, that they may deprive their neighbor of somewhat which was his. Wherefore it is said, Must ye alone inhabit the earth? For these things have been heard in the ears of the Lord of hosts. And elsewhere, Cursed be he who removeth his neighbor’s landmarks; and all the people shall say Amen. Wherefore Moses saith, Thou shalt not remove thy neighbor’s landmarks, which thy fathers have set.
Upon this account, therefore, terrors, death, tribunals, and condemnations from God, follow such as these. But as to those who are obedient to God, there is one law of God, simple, true, living, which is this: Do not that to another which Thou hatest another should do to thee. Thou wouldst not that anyone should look upon thy wife with an evil design to corrupt her. Do not thou, therefore, look upon thy neighbor’s wife with a wicked intention. Thou wouldst not that thy garment should be taken away. Do not thou, therefore, take away another’s. Thou wouldst not be beaten, reproached, insulted. Do not thou, therefore, treat any other in the like manner.
Chapter II – That we ought not to return injuries, nor revenge ourselves on him that doeth us wrong
But if anyone curse thee, do thou bless him. For it is written in the book of Numbers, He that blesseth thee is blessed, and he that curseth thee is cursed. In the same manner it is written in the Gospel, Bless them that curse you. Being injured, do not avenge yourselves, but bear it with patience; for the Scripture speaketh thus: Say not thou, I will avenge myself on mine enemy for what injuries he hath done me: but wait; that the Lord may right thee, and bring vengeance upon him who hath injured thee. For, again, in the Gospel he saith, Love your enemies; do good to them that hate you; and pray for them who despitefully use you, and persecute you; and ye shall be children of your Father who is in heaven; for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. Let us, therefore, beloved, attend to these commandments, that, doing them, we may be found to be children of light.
Bear, therefore, with one another, ye servants and sons of God. Let the husband not be insolent nor arrogant towards his wife; but compassionate, bountiful, desiring to please his own wife, and treat her honorably and obligingly, endeavoring to be agreeable to her.
Chapter III – Concerning the adornment of ourselves, and the sin which ariseth thence
Do not adorn thyself in such a manner as may entice another woman to thee. For if thou art overcome by her, and sinnest with her, eternal death will overtake thee from God; and thou wilt be punished with sensible and bitter torments. Or if thou dost not perpetrate such a wicked act, but shakest her off, and refusest her, in this case thou art not wholly innocent, even though thou are not guilty of the crime itself, but only of ensnaring her by thine embellishment to desire thee; for thou art the cause that she was so affected, that by her desire after thee she was guilty of adultery with thee; yet thou art not so guilty, because thou didst not send to her who was ensnared by thee, nor didst thou desire her. Since, therefore, thou didst not deliver up thyself to her, thou shalt find mercy with the Lord thy God, who hath said, Thou shalt not commit adultery; and, Thou shalt not covet. For if such a woman, upon sight of thee, or unseasonable meeting with thee, was smitten in her mind, and sent to thee, but thou, as a religious person, didst refuse her; yet, because she was wounded in her heart by thy beauty, and youth, and adorning, so that she fell in love with thee, thou wilt be found guilty of her transgression, as having been a cause of her stumbling; and shalt inherit a woe. Wherefore, pray thou to the Lord God, that no mischief may befall thee on this account; for thou art not to please men, so as to commit sin, but God, so as to attain holiness of life, and be partaker of everlasting rest.
That beauty which God by nature hath bestowed on thee, do not further beautify; but modestly diminish it before men. Thus do not permit the hair of thy head to grow too long, but rather cut it short; lest, by nicely combing thy hair, and wearing it long, and anointing thyself, thou draw upon thyself such ensnared or ensnaring women. Nor do thou wear over-fine garments, to seduce any; nor do thou, with evil subtilty, affect over-fine stockings or shoes for thy feet, but only such as suit the measures of decency and usefulness. Nor do thou put upon thy fingers a ring that hath a golden bezel. For all these ornaments are signs of lasciviousness; and if them be solicitous about them, in an improper manner, thou wilt not act as becometh a good man. For it is not lawful for thee, a believer and a man of God, to permit the hair of thy head to grow long, and to collect it into a tuft or a braided crown, nor so to separate it as to keep it divided, nor to puff it up, nor by nice combing and platting to make it curl, nor to tinge it with yellow; since the Law forbiddeth, saying in its additional precepts, Ye shall not make to yourselves curls and round rasures. Nor is it right to destroy the hair of the chin, and unnaturally change the form of a man. For the Law saith, Ye shall not mar your beards. God the Creator hath made it seemly for women to have no beard, but he hath determined that it is unsuitable for men. But if thou do these things to please men, in contradiction to the Law, thou wilt be abominable with God, who created thee after his own image. If, therefore, thou wilt be acceptable to God, abstain from all those things which he hateth; and do none of those things that are displeasing to him.
Chapter IV – That we ought not to be over-curious about such as live wickedly, but to be intent upon our own proper employment
Thou shalt not be as a wanderer and gadder abroad, rambling about the streets, without just cause, to spy out such as live wickedly. But, by minding thine own trade and employment, endeavor to do what is acceptable to God. And, keeping in mind the oracles of Christ, meditate on them continually. For the Scripture saith to thee, Thou shalt meditate in his Law, day and night; when thou walkest in the field, and when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up, that thou mayest have understanding in all things. Nay, although thou be rich, and do not need a trade for thy maintenance, be not one that wandereth about, and walketh abroad at random. But either go to some that are believers and of the same religion, and confer and discourse with them about the lively oracles of God.
Chapter V – What books of Scripture we ought to read
If thou stay at home, read the Law, the books of the Kings, and the Prophets; sing the Hymns of David; and peruse diligently the Gospel, which is the completion of the Scriptures that have been mentioned.
Chapter VI – That we ought to abstain from all the books of those that are out of the church
Abstain from all the heathen books; for what hast thou to do with such foreign discourses, or laws, or false prophets, which subvert the faith of the unstable? What defect dost thou find in the Law of God, that thou shouldst have recourse to those heathenish fables? For if thou hast a mind to read history, thou hast the books of the Kings; of works of wisdom and poetry, thou hast those of the Prophets, of Job, and the Proverbs; in which thou wilt find greater depth of sagacity than in all the heathen poets and sophisters, because these are the words of the Lord, the only wise God. If thou desirest something to sing, thou hast the Psalms; if the origin of things, thou hast Genesis; if laws and statutes, thou hast the glorious Law of the Lord God. Do thou, therefore, utterly abstain from all strange and diabolical books.
Nay, when thou readest the Law, think not thyself bound to observe the additional precepts. Abstain from them; if not from all of them, yet from some of them, that are of this character. Read them only for the sake of history, in order to the knowledge of them, and to glorify God, that he hath delivered thee from so great and so many bonds. Propose to thyself to distinguish what rules were from the law of nature, and what were added afterwards, or were such additional rules as were introduced and given to the Israelites after the making of the calf. For the Law containeth those precepts which were spoken by the Lord God before the people fell into idolatry, and made a calf, like the Egyptian Apis; that is, the ten commandments. But as to those bonds which were further laid upon them after they had sinned, do not draw them upon thy self. For our Saviour came for no other reason than that he might deliver those that were obnoxious thereto from that wrath which was reserved for them; that he might fulfil the Law and the Prophets, and that he might abrogate or change those secondary bonds which were superadded to the rest of the Law. For therefore doth he call to us, and say, Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
When, therefore, thou hast read the Law, which is agreeable to the Gospel and to the Prophets, read also the books of the Kings, that thou mayest thereby learn which of the kings were righteous, and how they were prospered by God; and how the promise of eternal life continued with them from him. But those kings who departed from God soon perished in their apostasy, by the righteous judgment of God, and were deprived of his life, inheriting, instead of rest, eternal punishment. Wherefore, by reading these books, thou wilt be much strengthened in the faith, and edified in Christ, whose body and member thou art.
Moreover, when thou walkest abroad in public, and hast a mind to bathe, make use of that bath which is appropriated to men, lest, by discovering thy body in an unseemly manner to women, or by seeing a sight not seemly for men, either thou be ensnared, or thou ensnare and entice to thyself those women who easily yield to such temptations. Take care, therefore, and avoid such things, lest thou admit a snare upon thine own soul.
Chapter VII – Concerning a bad woman
For let us learn what the sacred Word saith, in the book of Wisdom: My son, keep my words, and hide my commandments with thee. Say unto Wisdom, thou art my sister, and make understanding familiar with thee; that she may keep thee from the strange and wicked woman, in case such an one accost thee with sweet words. For from the window of her house she looketh into the street to see if she can espy some young man among the foolish children, without understanding, walking in the market-place, in the meeting of the street near her house, and talking in the dusk of the evening, or in the silence and darkness of the night. A woman meeteth him with the appearance of a harlot, who stealeth away the hearts of young men. She rambleth about, and is dissolute. Her feet abide not in her house. Sometimes she is without, sometimes in the streets, and lieth in wait at every corner. Then she catcheth him, and kisseth him, and with an impudent face saith unto him, I have peace-offerings with me; this day do I pay my vows. Therefore came I forth to meet thee; earnestly I have desired thy face, and I have found thee. I have decked my bed with coverings; with tapestry from Egypt I have adorned it. I have perfumed my bed with saffron, and my house with cinnamon. Come, let us take our fill of love until the morning. Come, let us solace ourselves with love.
And it is added, With much discourse she seduced him; with snares from her lips she forced him. He goeth after her like a silly bird. And again: Do not hearken to a wicked woman; for though the lips of a harlot are like drops from a honey-comb, which for a while is smooth in thy throat, yet afterwards thou wilt find her more litter than gall, and sharper than any two-edged sword. And again: But get away quickly, and tarry not. Fix not thine eyes upon her. For she hath cast down many wounded, and they are innumerable whom she hath slain. But if thou regard not this warning, it saith, thou wilt repent at the last, when thy flesh and thy body are consumed, and wilt say, How have I hated instruction, and my heart hath avoided the reproof of the righteous! I have not hearkened to the voice of my instructer, nor inclined mine ear to my teacher. I was almost in all evil.
But we will make no more quotations; and if we have omitted any, be so prudent as to select the most valuable out of the Holy Scriptures, and confirm yourselves with them, rejecting all things that are evil, that so ye may be found holy with God in eternal life.
Chapter VIII – Concerning the subjection of a wife to her husband, and that she must be loving and modest
Let the wife be obedient to her own husband, because the husband is the head of the wife. But Christ is the head of that husband who walketh in the way of righteousness; and the head of Christ is God, even the Father. Therefore, wife, next after the Almighty, our God and Father, the Lord of the present world and of the world to come, the Maker of everything that breatheth, and of every power, and after his beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom glory be to God, do thou fear thy husband, and reverence him, pleasing him alone, rendering thyself acceptable to him in the several affairs of life; so that on thine account thy husband may be deemed happy, according to the Wisdom of Solomon, which speaketh thus:
Who can find a virtuous woman? For such a one is more precious than costly stones. The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that she shall have no need of spoil. For she doeth good to her husband all the days of her life. She buyeth wool and flax, and worketh profitable things with her hands. She is like the merchants’ ships; she bringeth her food from far. She riseth while it is yet night, and giveth meat to her household, and food to her maidens. She considereth a field, and buyeth it. With the fruit of her hands she planteth a vineyard. She girdeth her loins with strength, and strengthened her arms. She tasteth that it is good to labor; her lamp goeth not out the whole night. She stretcheth out her arms for useful work, and layeth her hands to the spindle. She openeth her hands to the needy; yea, she reacheth forth her hands to the poor. Her husband taketh no care of the affairs of his house; for all that are with her are clothed with double garments. She maketh coats for her husband, garments of silk and purple. Her husband is eminent in the gates, when he sitteth with the elders of the land. She maketh fine linen, and selleth it to the Pheniciam, and girdles to the Canaanites. She is clothed with glory and beauty; and she rejoiceth in the last days. She openeth her mouth with wisdom and discretion, and putteth her words in order. The ways of her household are strict; she eateth not the bread of idleness. She will open her mouth with wisdom and caution; and upon her tongue are the laws of mercy. Her children rise up, and praise her for her riches, and her husband joineth in her praises. Many daughters have obtained wealth, and done worthily, but thou surpassest and excellest them all. May lying flatteries and the vain beauty of a wife be far from thee. For a religious wife is blessed. Let her praise the fear of the Lord; give her of the fruit of her lips; and let her husband be praised in the gates.
And again: A virtuous wife is a crown to her husband.
And again: Many wives have built a house.
Ye have learned what great commendations a prudent and loving wife receiveth from the Lord God. If thou desirest to be one of the faithful, and to please the Lord, wife, do not beautify thyself in order to please other men, nor imitate the wearing of a harlot’s plaited locks, or garments, or shoes, to entice those who are allured by such things. For although thou doest not these reprehensible acts with design of sinning thyself, but only for the sake of ornament and beauty, yet thou wilt not so escape future punishment; as having compelled another to be so attracted to thee as to desire thee, and as not having taken care both to avoid sin thyself, and to prevent others from stumbling. But if thou yield thyself up, and commit the crime, thou art both guilty of thine own sin, and the cause of the ruin of the other’s soul also. Besides, when thou hast committed lewdness with one man, and beginnest to despair, thou wilt again turn away from thy duty, and follow others, and grow past feeling; as saith the divine Word: When a wicked man cometh into the depth of evil, he becometh a scorner, and then disgrace and reproach come upon him. For such a woman afterwards, being wounded, ensnareth without restraint the souls of the foolish.
Let us learn, therefore, how the divine Word plainly describeth and condemneth such women, saying, I hated a woman who is a snare and net to the heart of men, worse than death. Her hands are fetters. And in another passage: As a jewel of gold in a swine’s snout, so is beauty in a wicked woman. And again: As a worm in wood, so doth a wicked woman destroy her husband. And again: It is better to dwell in the corner of the house-top, than with a contentious and angry woman. Ye, therefore, who are Christian women, imitate not such as these.
But thou who designest to be faithful to thine own husband, take care to please him alone. And when thou art in the streets, cover thy head; for by such a covering thou wilt avoid being viewed by idle persons. Paint not thy face, which is God’s workmanship; for there is no part of thee which wanteth ornament, inasmuch as all things which God hath made are very good. But the lascivious additional adorning of what is already good is an affront to the bounty of the Creator. Look downward when thou walkest abroad, veiling thyself as becometh women.
Chapter IX – That a woman must not bathe with men
Avoid also that disorderly practice of bathing in the same place with men. For many are the nets of the evil one. And let not a Christian woman bathe with an hermaphrodite. For if she is to veil her face and conceal it with modesty from strange men, how can she bear to enter naked into the bath together with men? But if the bath be appropriated to women, let her bathe orderly, modestly, and moderately. But let her not bathe without occasion, nor much, nor often, nor in the middle of the day, nor, if possible, every day. And let the tenth hour of the day be the set time for such seasonable bathing. For it is convenient that thou who art a Christian woman shouldst ever constantly avoid the exciting of curiosity, which hath many eyes.
Chapter X – Concerning a contentious and brawling woman
But as to a spirit of contention, be sure to curb it as to all men, but principally as to thy husband; lest, if he be an unbeliever or a heathen, he may have an occasion of stumbling, and blaspheme God, and thou be partaker of a woe from God. For he saith, Woe to him by whom my name is blasphemed among the Gentiles; and lest, if thy husband be a Christian, he be forced, by his knowledge of the Scriptures, to say that which is written in the book of Wisdom: It is better to dwell in the wilderness, than with a contentious and angry woman.
Ye wives, therefore, demonstrate your piety, by your modesty and meekness, to all without the church, whether they be women or men, in order to their conversion and improvement in the faith. And since we have warned you and instructed you briefly, whom we esteem our sisters, daughters, and members, as being wise yourselves, persevere all your lives in an unblamable course of life. Seek to know those kinds of learning by which ye may arrive at the kingdom of our Lord, and please him, and so rest forever and ever. Amen.
END OF BOOK I
THE Apostles and Elders to all those who from among the Gentiles have believed in the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace and peace from the Almighty God, through our Lord Jesus Christ, be multiplied to you in the acknowledgment of him.
The catholic church is the plantation of God, and his beloved vineyard; containing those who have believed in his unerring divine religion; who are the heirs by faith of his everlasting kingdom; who are partakers of his divine influence, and of the communication of the Holy Spirit; who are armed and inwardly strengthened with his fear, through Jesus; who enjoy the benefit of the sprinkling of the precious and innocent blood of Christ; who have free liberty to call the Almighty God, Father; being fellow-heirs and joint partakers of his beloved Son. Hearken to the holy doctrine, ye who enjoy his promises, as being delivered by the command of your Saviour, and agreeable to his glorious words. Take care, ye children of God, to do all things in obedience to God; and in all things please Christ, who is our Lord. For if any man follow unrighteousness, and do those things that are contrary to the will of God, such a person will be accounted by God as the disobedient heathen.
Chapter I – Against Covetousness
ABSTAIN, therefore, from all unlawful desires and from injustice. For it is written in the Law, Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s wife, nor his field, nor his man-servant, nor his maid-servant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor anything that is thy neighbor’s; because all coveting of these things is from the evil one. For he that coveteth his neighbor’s wife, or his man-servant, or his maid-servant, is already in his mind an adulterer and a thief; and if he do not repent, he is condemned by our Lord Jesus Christ; through whom glory be to God forever. Amen. For he saith in the Gospel, recapitulating, and confirming, and fulfilling the Ten Commandments of the Law, It is written in the Law, Thou shalt not commit adultery: But I say unto you; that is, I said in the Law by Moses, but now I say unto you myself, Whosoever shall look on his neighbor’s wife to lust after her, hath committed adultery with her already in his heart. Such a man is condemned of adultery who coveteth his neighbor’s wife in his mind. But he that coveteth an ox or an ass, doth not he design to steal them? To apply them to his own use, and to lead them away? Or again, he that coveteth a field, and continueth in such a disposition, doth not he wickedly contrive how to remove the landmarks, and so compel the possessor to part with somewhat for nothing? For the prophet somewhere saith, Woe to those who join house to house, and lay field to field, that they may deprive their neighbor of somewhat which was his. Wherefore it is said, Must ye alone inhabit the earth? For these things have been heard in the ears of the Lord of hosts. And elsewhere, Cursed be he who removeth his neighbor’s landmarks; and all the people shall say Amen. Wherefore Moses saith, Thou shalt not remove thy neighbor’s landmarks, which thy fathers have set.
Upon this account, therefore, terrors, death, tribunals, and condemnations from God, follow such as these. But as to those who are obedient to God, there is one law of God, simple, true, living, which is this: Do not that to another which Thou hatest another should do to thee. Thou wouldst not that anyone should look upon thy wife with an evil design to corrupt her. Do not thou, therefore, look upon thy neighbor’s wife with a wicked intention. Thou wouldst not that thy garment should be taken away. Do not thou, therefore, take away another’s. Thou wouldst not be beaten, reproached, insulted. Do not thou, therefore, treat any other in the like manner.
Chapter II – That we ought not to return injuries, nor revenge ourselves on him that doeth us wrong
But if anyone curse thee, do thou bless him. For it is written in the book of Numbers, He that blesseth thee is blessed, and he that curseth thee is cursed. In the same manner it is written in the Gospel, Bless them that curse you. Being injured, do not avenge yourselves, but bear it with patience; for the Scripture speaketh thus: Say not thou, I will avenge myself on mine enemy for what injuries he hath done me: but wait; that the Lord may right thee, and bring vengeance upon him who hath injured thee. For, again, in the Gospel he saith, Love your enemies; do good to them that hate you; and pray for them who despitefully use you, and persecute you; and ye shall be children of your Father who is in heaven; for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. Let us, therefore, beloved, attend to these commandments, that, doing them, we may be found to be children of light.
Bear, therefore, with one another, ye servants and sons of God. Let the husband not be insolent nor arrogant towards his wife; but compassionate, bountiful, desiring to please his own wife, and treat her honorably and obligingly, endeavoring to be agreeable to her.
Chapter III – Concerning the adornment of ourselves, and the sin which ariseth thence
Do not adorn thyself in such a manner as may entice another woman to thee. For if thou art overcome by her, and sinnest with her, eternal death will overtake thee from God; and thou wilt be punished with sensible and bitter torments. Or if thou dost not perpetrate such a wicked act, but shakest her off, and refusest her, in this case thou art not wholly innocent, even though thou are not guilty of the crime itself, but only of ensnaring her by thine embellishment to desire thee; for thou art the cause that she was so affected, that by her desire after thee she was guilty of adultery with thee; yet thou art not so guilty, because thou didst not send to her who was ensnared by thee, nor didst thou desire her. Since, therefore, thou didst not deliver up thyself to her, thou shalt find mercy with the Lord thy God, who hath said, Thou shalt not commit adultery; and, Thou shalt not covet. For if such a woman, upon sight of thee, or unseasonable meeting with thee, was smitten in her mind, and sent to thee, but thou, as a religious person, didst refuse her; yet, because she was wounded in her heart by thy beauty, and youth, and adorning, so that she fell in love with thee, thou wilt be found guilty of her transgression, as having been a cause of her stumbling; and shalt inherit a woe. Wherefore, pray thou to the Lord God, that no mischief may befall thee on this account; for thou art not to please men, so as to commit sin, but God, so as to attain holiness of life, and be partaker of everlasting rest.
That beauty which God by nature hath bestowed on thee, do not further beautify; but modestly diminish it before men. Thus do not permit the hair of thy head to grow too long, but rather cut it short; lest, by nicely combing thy hair, and wearing it long, and anointing thyself, thou draw upon thyself such ensnared or ensnaring women. Nor do thou wear over-fine garments, to seduce any; nor do thou, with evil subtilty, affect over-fine stockings or shoes for thy feet, but only such as suit the measures of decency and usefulness. Nor do thou put upon thy fingers a ring that hath a golden bezel. For all these ornaments are signs of lasciviousness; and if them be solicitous about them, in an improper manner, thou wilt not act as becometh a good man. For it is not lawful for thee, a believer and a man of God, to permit the hair of thy head to grow long, and to collect it into a tuft or a braided crown, nor so to separate it as to keep it divided, nor to puff it up, nor by nice combing and platting to make it curl, nor to tinge it with yellow; since the Law forbiddeth, saying in its additional precepts, Ye shall not make to yourselves curls and round rasures. Nor is it right to destroy the hair of the chin, and unnaturally change the form of a man. For the Law saith, Ye shall not mar your beards. God the Creator hath made it seemly for women to have no beard, but he hath determined that it is unsuitable for men. But if thou do these things to please men, in contradiction to the Law, thou wilt be abominable with God, who created thee after his own image. If, therefore, thou wilt be acceptable to God, abstain from all those things which he hateth; and do none of those things that are displeasing to him.
Chapter IV – That we ought not to be over-curious about such as live wickedly, but to be intent upon our own proper employment
Thou shalt not be as a wanderer and gadder abroad, rambling about the streets, without just cause, to spy out such as live wickedly. But, by minding thine own trade and employment, endeavor to do what is acceptable to God. And, keeping in mind the oracles of Christ, meditate on them continually. For the Scripture saith to thee, Thou shalt meditate in his Law, day and night; when thou walkest in the field, and when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up, that thou mayest have understanding in all things. Nay, although thou be rich, and do not need a trade for thy maintenance, be not one that wandereth about, and walketh abroad at random. But either go to some that are believers and of the same religion, and confer and discourse with them about the lively oracles of God.
Chapter V – What books of Scripture we ought to read
If thou stay at home, read the Law, the books of the Kings, and the Prophets; sing the Hymns of David; and peruse diligently the Gospel, which is the completion of the Scriptures that have been mentioned.
Chapter VI – That we ought to abstain from all the books of those that are out of the church
Abstain from all the heathen books; for what hast thou to do with such foreign discourses, or laws, or false prophets, which subvert the faith of the unstable? What defect dost thou find in the Law of God, that thou shouldst have recourse to those heathenish fables? For if thou hast a mind to read history, thou hast the books of the Kings; of works of wisdom and poetry, thou hast those of the Prophets, of Job, and the Proverbs; in which thou wilt find greater depth of sagacity than in all the heathen poets and sophisters, because these are the words of the Lord, the only wise God. If thou desirest something to sing, thou hast the Psalms; if the origin of things, thou hast Genesis; if laws and statutes, thou hast the glorious Law of the Lord God. Do thou, therefore, utterly abstain from all strange and diabolical books.
Nay, when thou readest the Law, think not thyself bound to observe the additional precepts. Abstain from them; if not from all of them, yet from some of them, that are of this character. Read them only for the sake of history, in order to the knowledge of them, and to glorify God, that he hath delivered thee from so great and so many bonds. Propose to thyself to distinguish what rules were from the law of nature, and what were added afterwards, or were such additional rules as were introduced and given to the Israelites after the making of the calf. For the Law containeth those precepts which were spoken by the Lord God before the people fell into idolatry, and made a calf, like the Egyptian Apis; that is, the ten commandments. But as to those bonds which were further laid upon them after they had sinned, do not draw them upon thy self. For our Saviour came for no other reason than that he might deliver those that were obnoxious thereto from that wrath which was reserved for them; that he might fulfil the Law and the Prophets, and that he might abrogate or change those secondary bonds which were superadded to the rest of the Law. For therefore doth he call to us, and say, Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
When, therefore, thou hast read the Law, which is agreeable to the Gospel and to the Prophets, read also the books of the Kings, that thou mayest thereby learn which of the kings were righteous, and how they were prospered by God; and how the promise of eternal life continued with them from him. But those kings who departed from God soon perished in their apostasy, by the righteous judgment of God, and were deprived of his life, inheriting, instead of rest, eternal punishment. Wherefore, by reading these books, thou wilt be much strengthened in the faith, and edified in Christ, whose body and member thou art.
Moreover, when thou walkest abroad in public, and hast a mind to bathe, make use of that bath which is appropriated to men, lest, by discovering thy body in an unseemly manner to women, or by seeing a sight not seemly for men, either thou be ensnared, or thou ensnare and entice to thyself those women who easily yield to such temptations. Take care, therefore, and avoid such things, lest thou admit a snare upon thine own soul.
Chapter VII – Concerning a bad woman
For let us learn what the sacred Word saith, in the book of Wisdom: My son, keep my words, and hide my commandments with thee. Say unto Wisdom, thou art my sister, and make understanding familiar with thee; that she may keep thee from the strange and wicked woman, in case such an one accost thee with sweet words. For from the window of her house she looketh into the street to see if she can espy some young man among the foolish children, without understanding, walking in the market-place, in the meeting of the street near her house, and talking in the dusk of the evening, or in the silence and darkness of the night. A woman meeteth him with the appearance of a harlot, who stealeth away the hearts of young men. She rambleth about, and is dissolute. Her feet abide not in her house. Sometimes she is without, sometimes in the streets, and lieth in wait at every corner. Then she catcheth him, and kisseth him, and with an impudent face saith unto him, I have peace-offerings with me; this day do I pay my vows. Therefore came I forth to meet thee; earnestly I have desired thy face, and I have found thee. I have decked my bed with coverings; with tapestry from Egypt I have adorned it. I have perfumed my bed with saffron, and my house with cinnamon. Come, let us take our fill of love until the morning. Come, let us solace ourselves with love.
And it is added, With much discourse she seduced him; with snares from her lips she forced him. He goeth after her like a silly bird. And again: Do not hearken to a wicked woman; for though the lips of a harlot are like drops from a honey-comb, which for a while is smooth in thy throat, yet afterwards thou wilt find her more litter than gall, and sharper than any two-edged sword. And again: But get away quickly, and tarry not. Fix not thine eyes upon her. For she hath cast down many wounded, and they are innumerable whom she hath slain. But if thou regard not this warning, it saith, thou wilt repent at the last, when thy flesh and thy body are consumed, and wilt say, How have I hated instruction, and my heart hath avoided the reproof of the righteous! I have not hearkened to the voice of my instructer, nor inclined mine ear to my teacher. I was almost in all evil.
But we will make no more quotations; and if we have omitted any, be so prudent as to select the most valuable out of the Holy Scriptures, and confirm yourselves with them, rejecting all things that are evil, that so ye may be found holy with God in eternal life.
Chapter VIII – Concerning the subjection of a wife to her husband, and that she must be loving and modest
Let the wife be obedient to her own husband, because the husband is the head of the wife. But Christ is the head of that husband who walketh in the way of righteousness; and the head of Christ is God, even the Father. Therefore, wife, next after the Almighty, our God and Father, the Lord of the present world and of the world to come, the Maker of everything that breatheth, and of every power, and after his beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom glory be to God, do thou fear thy husband, and reverence him, pleasing him alone, rendering thyself acceptable to him in the several affairs of life; so that on thine account thy husband may be deemed happy, according to the Wisdom of Solomon, which speaketh thus:
Who can find a virtuous woman? For such a one is more precious than costly stones. The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that she shall have no need of spoil. For she doeth good to her husband all the days of her life. She buyeth wool and flax, and worketh profitable things with her hands. She is like the merchants’ ships; she bringeth her food from far. She riseth while it is yet night, and giveth meat to her household, and food to her maidens. She considereth a field, and buyeth it. With the fruit of her hands she planteth a vineyard. She girdeth her loins with strength, and strengthened her arms. She tasteth that it is good to labor; her lamp goeth not out the whole night. She stretcheth out her arms for useful work, and layeth her hands to the spindle. She openeth her hands to the needy; yea, she reacheth forth her hands to the poor. Her husband taketh no care of the affairs of his house; for all that are with her are clothed with double garments. She maketh coats for her husband, garments of silk and purple. Her husband is eminent in the gates, when he sitteth with the elders of the land. She maketh fine linen, and selleth it to the Pheniciam, and girdles to the Canaanites. She is clothed with glory and beauty; and she rejoiceth in the last days. She openeth her mouth with wisdom and discretion, and putteth her words in order. The ways of her household are strict; she eateth not the bread of idleness. She will open her mouth with wisdom and caution; and upon her tongue are the laws of mercy. Her children rise up, and praise her for her riches, and her husband joineth in her praises. Many daughters have obtained wealth, and done worthily, but thou surpassest and excellest them all. May lying flatteries and the vain beauty of a wife be far from thee. For a religious wife is blessed. Let her praise the fear of the Lord; give her of the fruit of her lips; and let her husband be praised in the gates.
And again: A virtuous wife is a crown to her husband.
And again: Many wives have built a house.
Ye have learned what great commendations a prudent and loving wife receiveth from the Lord God. If thou desirest to be one of the faithful, and to please the Lord, wife, do not beautify thyself in order to please other men, nor imitate the wearing of a harlot’s plaited locks, or garments, or shoes, to entice those who are allured by such things. For although thou doest not these reprehensible acts with design of sinning thyself, but only for the sake of ornament and beauty, yet thou wilt not so escape future punishment; as having compelled another to be so attracted to thee as to desire thee, and as not having taken care both to avoid sin thyself, and to prevent others from stumbling. But if thou yield thyself up, and commit the crime, thou art both guilty of thine own sin, and the cause of the ruin of the other’s soul also. Besides, when thou hast committed lewdness with one man, and beginnest to despair, thou wilt again turn away from thy duty, and follow others, and grow past feeling; as saith the divine Word: When a wicked man cometh into the depth of evil, he becometh a scorner, and then disgrace and reproach come upon him. For such a woman afterwards, being wounded, ensnareth without restraint the souls of the foolish.
Let us learn, therefore, how the divine Word plainly describeth and condemneth such women, saying, I hated a woman who is a snare and net to the heart of men, worse than death. Her hands are fetters. And in another passage: As a jewel of gold in a swine’s snout, so is beauty in a wicked woman. And again: As a worm in wood, so doth a wicked woman destroy her husband. And again: It is better to dwell in the corner of the house-top, than with a contentious and angry woman. Ye, therefore, who are Christian women, imitate not such as these.
But thou who designest to be faithful to thine own husband, take care to please him alone. And when thou art in the streets, cover thy head; for by such a covering thou wilt avoid being viewed by idle persons. Paint not thy face, which is God’s workmanship; for there is no part of thee which wanteth ornament, inasmuch as all things which God hath made are very good. But the lascivious additional adorning of what is already good is an affront to the bounty of the Creator. Look downward when thou walkest abroad, veiling thyself as becometh women.
Chapter IX – That a woman must not bathe with men
Avoid also that disorderly practice of bathing in the same place with men. For many are the nets of the evil one. And let not a Christian woman bathe with an hermaphrodite. For if she is to veil her face and conceal it with modesty from strange men, how can she bear to enter naked into the bath together with men? But if the bath be appropriated to women, let her bathe orderly, modestly, and moderately. But let her not bathe without occasion, nor much, nor often, nor in the middle of the day, nor, if possible, every day. And let the tenth hour of the day be the set time for such seasonable bathing. For it is convenient that thou who art a Christian woman shouldst ever constantly avoid the exciting of curiosity, which hath many eyes.
Chapter X – Concerning a contentious and brawling woman
But as to a spirit of contention, be sure to curb it as to all men, but principally as to thy husband; lest, if he be an unbeliever or a heathen, he may have an occasion of stumbling, and blaspheme God, and thou be partaker of a woe from God. For he saith, Woe to him by whom my name is blasphemed among the Gentiles; and lest, if thy husband be a Christian, he be forced, by his knowledge of the Scriptures, to say that which is written in the book of Wisdom: It is better to dwell in the wilderness, than with a contentious and angry woman.
Ye wives, therefore, demonstrate your piety, by your modesty and meekness, to all without the church, whether they be women or men, in order to their conversion and improvement in the faith. And since we have warned you and instructed you briefly, whom we esteem our sisters, daughters, and members, as being wise yourselves, persevere all your lives in an unblamable course of life. Seek to know those kinds of learning by which ye may arrive at the kingdom of our Lord, and please him, and so rest forever and ever. Amen.
END OF BOOK I
BOOK II – Concerning Bishops, Presbyters, And Deacons
Chapter I – That a Bishop must be well instructed, and experienced in the Word
BUT concerning Bishops, we have heard from our Lord that a Pastor, who is to be ordained a Bishop for the churches in every parish, must be blameless, unreprovable, free from all kinds of wickedness common among men, and not under fifty years of age. For such a man, in good part, is past youthful irregularities, and the slanders of them that are without, as well as the reproaches which are sometimes cast upon many persons by certain false brethren, who do not consider the word of God in the Gospel, Whosoever shall speak an idle word, shall give account thereof to the Lord in the day of judgment. And again: By thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned. Let him, therefore, be well instructed and skilful in the Word, and of competent age.
But if, in a small parish, one advanced in years is not to be found, let some younger person, who hath a good report among his neighbors, and is esteemed by them worthy of the office of a Bishop; who, from his youth, hath carried himself with meekness and regularity, like a much older person; after examination and a general good report, be ordained in peace. For Solomon at twelve years of age was king of Israel, and Josiah at eight years of age reigned righteously; and in like manner Joash governed the people at seven years of age. Wherefore, although the person be young, let him be meek, gentle, and quiet. For the Lord God saith by Isaiah, Upon whom will I look but upon him who is humble and quiet, and always trembleth at my words? In like manner it is in the Gospel also, Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. Let him also be merciful; for it is said, Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. Let him also be one of a good conscience, purified from all evil, and wickedness, and unrighteousness. For it is said again, Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
Chapter II – What ought to be the character of a Bishop, and of the rest of the Clergy
Let him, therefore, be sober, prudent, decorous, firm, not easily perturbed, not given to wine, no striker, but gentle; not a brawler, not covetous; not a novice, lest, being puffed up with pride, he fall into condemnation, and the snare of the devil. Forevery one who exalteth himself shall be abased. A Bishop, moreover, ought to be a man who hath been the husband of one wife, who also herself hath had no other husband, ruling well his own house. In this manner let examination be made when he is to receive ordination, and to be placed in his bishopric, whether he be grave, faithful, decorous; whether he hath a grave and faithful wife, or hath formerly had such a one; whether he hath educated his children piously, and hath brought them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord; whether his domestics fear and reverence him, and are all obedient to him; for if those who are immediately about him for worldly concerns are seditious and disobedient, how will others, not of his family, when they are under his management, become obedient to him?
Chapter III – In what things a Bishop is to be examined before he is ordained
Let examination also be made, whether he be unblamable as to the concerns of this life. For it is written, Search diligently to ascertain whether he who is to be ordained for the priesthood, be free from blemish. On which account, let him also be void of anger; for Wisdom saith, Anger destroyeth even the prudent. Let him also be merciful, of a generous and loving temper; for our Lord saith, By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye love one another. Let him also be ready to give; a lover of the widow and stranger, ready to serve and minister; indefatigable, undaunted; and let him know who is the most worthy of his assistance.
Chapter IV – That charitable distributions are not to be made to every widow, but that sometimes a woman who hath a husband is to be preferred; and that no distributions are to be made to one who is given to gluttony, drunkenness, and idleness
For if there be a widow who is able to support herself, and another woman who is not a widow, but is needy by reason of sickness, or the bringing up of many children, or infirmity of her hands, let him stretch out his hand in charity rather to this latter. But if anyone be in want by gluttony, drunkenness, or idleness, he doth not deserve to be assisted, nor to be a member of the church of God. For the Scripture, speaking of such persons, saith, The slothful hideth his hand in his bosom, and is not able to bring it to his mouth. And again: The sluggard foldeth up his hands, and eateth his own flesh. Forevery drunkard and whoremonger shall come to poverty, and every drowsy person shall be clothed with tatters and rags. And in another passage, If thou give thine eyes to bowls and cups, thou shalt afterwards walk more naked than a pestle. For, certainly, idleness is the mother of famine.
Chapter V – That a Bishop must be no accepter of persons in judgment; that he must be gentle in his conversation, and temperate in his diet
A Bishop must be no accepter of persons. He must not fear any; nor basely flatter a rich man; nor forsake, nor domineer over, a poor man. For God saith to Moses, Thou shalt not accept the person of the rich, nor shalt thou pity a poor man in his cause; for the judgment is the Lord’s. And again: Thou shalt with exact justice follow that which is right. Let a Bishop be frugal, and contented with a little in his meat and drink, that he may be ever in a sober frame, and disposed to instruct and admonish the ignorant; and let him not be lavish in his expenses, nor a pamperer of himself, nor given to pleasure, nor fond of delicacies. Let him be patient and gentle in his admonitions, well instructed himself, pondering and diligently studying the Lord’s books, and reading them frequently, that so he may be able carefully to interpret the Scriptures, expounding the Gospel in correspondence with the Prophets and with the Law; and let the expositions from the Law and the Prophets correspond with the Gospel. For the Lord Jesus saith, Search the Scriptures, for they are they which testify of me. And again: For Moses wrote of me.
But above all, let him carefully distinguish between the original Law and the additional precepts, and show which are the laws for believers, and which the bonds for unbelievers; lest any should fall under those bonds. Be careful, therefore, Bishop, to study the word of God, that thou mayest be able to explain everything exactly, and that thou mayest copiously nourish thy people with much doctrine, and enlighten them with the light of the Law. For God saith, Enlighten yourselves with the light of knowledge, while there is yet opportunity.
Chapter VI – That a Bishop must not be given to filthy lucre, nor be a surety, nor an advocate
Let not a Bishop be given to filthy lucre, especially before the Gentiles; rather suffering than offering injuries; not covetous, nor rapacious; no purloiner, no admirer of the rich, nor hater of the poor; no evil speaker, nor false witness; not given to anger, no brawler; not entangled with the affairs of this life; not a surety for anyone, nor an accuser in suits about money; not ambitious, not double-minded, nor double-tongued; not ready to hearken to calumny or evil-speaking; not a dissembler, not addicted to the heathen festivals, not given to vain deceits, not eager after worldly things, nor a lover of money. For all these things are opposite to God, and pleasing to demons. Let the Bishop earnestly give all these precepts in charge to the laity also, persuading them to imitate his deportment. For the Scripture saith, Make ye the children of Israel pious. Let him be prudent, humble, apt to admonish with the instructions of the Lord, well-disposed, one who hath renounced all the wicked projects of this world, and all heathenish lusts. Let him be orderly, sharp in observing the wicked and taking heed of them, but yet a friend to all; just and discerning; and, whatsoever qualities are commendable among men, let the Bishop possess them in himself.
For if the Pastor be unblamable as to any wickedness, he will compel his disciples, and, by his manner of life, press them to become worthy imitators of his own actions; as the prophet somewhere saith, And it will be, As is the priest, so is the people. For our Lord and Master Jesus Christ, the Son of God, began first to do, and then to teach; as Luke somewhere saith: Which Jesus began to do and to teach. Wherefore he saith, Whosoever shall do and teach, he shall be called great in the kingdom of God. For it becometh you, Bishops, to be guides and watchmen to the people, as ye yourselves have Christ for your guide and watchman. Be ye, therefore, good guides and watchmen to the people of God.
For the Lord saith by Ezekiel, speaking to every one of you: I have given thee for a watchman to the house of Israel, and thou shall hear the word from my mouth, and shalt observe, and shalt declare it from me. When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die, if thou dost not speak to warn the wicked from his wickedness, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity, and his blood will I require at thy hand. But if thou warn the wicked from his way, that he may turn from it, and he do not turn from it, he shall die in his iniquity, and thou hast delivered thy soul. In the same manner, if the sword of war be approaching, and the people set a watchman to watch, and he see the same approach, and do not give warning, and the sword come and take one of them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood shall be required at the watchman’s hand, because he did not blow the trumpet. But if he blow the trumpet, and he who heareth it take not warning, and the sword come and take him away, his blood shall be upon himself, because he heard the trumpet, and took not warning. But he who hath taken warning hath delivered his soul; and the watchman, because he gave warning, shall surely live.
The sword here is the judgment; the trumpet is the holy Gospel; the watchman is the Bishop, who is set in the church, who is obliged in his preaching to testify and vehemently to forewarn concerning that judgment. If ye do not declare and testify this to the people, the sins of those who are ignorant of it will be found upon you. Wherefore, warn and reprove with boldness those who are perverse through want of instruction; teach the ignorant; confirm those that understand; bring back those that go astray. If we repeat the very same things on the same occasions, brethren, we shall not do amiss. For by frequent hearing it is to be hoped that some will be made ashamed, and at least do some good action, and avoid some wicked one. For saith God by the prophet, Testify those things to them; perhaps they will hear thy voice. And again: If perhaps they will hear, if perhaps they will submit.
Moses also saith to the people, If hearing thou wilt hear the Lord God, and do that which is good and right in his eyes. And again: Hear, Israel, the Lord thy God is one Lord. And our Lord is often recorded in the Gospel to have said, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear. And wise Solomon saith, My son, hear the instruction of thy father, and reject not the laws of thy mother. And, indeed, to this day men have not heard; for, while they seem to have heard, they have not heard aright; as appears by their having left the one and only true God, and their being drawn unto destruction and dangerous heresies, concerning which we shall speak again.
Chapter VII – What ought to be the character of the initiated
Be it known to you, beloved, that those who are baptized into the death of our Lord Christ, ought no longer to commit sin. For as those who are dead cannot practise wickedness any longer, so those who are dead with Christ cannot act in a sinful manner. It is incredible, therefore, brethren, that anyone who hath received the washing of life, perpetrateth the dissolute acts of transgressors. But he who sinneth after his baptism, unless he repent, and forsake his sins, will be condemned to hell.
Chapter VIII – Concerning a person falsely accused; or, on the other hand, a person convicted
If, now, anyone be maliciously prosecuted by the heathen, because he will not go along with them to the same excess of riot, let him know that such a one is blessed of God, as our Lord saith in the Gospel: Blessed are ye when men shall reproach you, or persecute you, or say all manner of evil against you falsely for my sake. Rejoice and be exceeding glad, for your reward is great in heaven. If, therefore, anyone be slandered and falsely accused, such a one is blessed; for the Scripture saith, A man that is a reprobate is not tried by God. But if anyone be convicted, having done a wicked action, such a one not only hurteth himself, but occasioneth the whole body of the church and its doctrine to be blasphemed; as if we Christians did not practise those things which we declare to be good and honest; and we ourselves shall be reproached by the Lord, that, They say, and do not. Wherefore the Bishop must boldly reject such as these on full conviction, unless they change their life.
Chapter IX – That a Bishop ought not to receive bribes
For the Bishop must not only himself give no offence, but must be no respecter of persons; in kindness admonishing those that sin. But if he himself hath not a good conscience, and is a respecter of persons and a receiver of bribes, he will spare the open offender, permitting him to continue in the church, and disregarding the voice of God and the Lord, which saith, Thou shalt execute right judgment. Thou shalt not accept persons in judgment. Thou shalt not justify the wicked. Thou shalt not receive gifts against anyone’s life; for gifts do blind the eyes of the wise, and pervert the words of the righteous. And elsewhere he saith, Put away from among yourselves that wicked person. And Solomon, in his Proverbs, saith, Cast out a pestilent fellow from the congregation, and strife will go out along with him.
Chapter X – That a Bishop who, by wrong judgment, spareth an offender, is himself guilty
But he who doth not consider these things, will, contrary to justice, spare him who deserveth punishment; as Saul spared Agag, and Eli his sons, who knew not the Lord. Such a one profaneth his own dignity, and that church of God which is in his parish. Such a one is esteemed unjust before God and good men, as affording occasion of scandal to many of the newly baptized and to the catechumens, as also to the youth of both sexes; and to him a woe belongeth, and a millstone about his neck, and drowning, on account of his guilt. For, observing what a person their ruler is, through his wickedness and neglect of justice, they will grow skeptical, and, indulging the same disease, will be compelled to perish with him; as was the case of the people joining with Jeroboam, and those who were in the conspiracy with Corah.
But if the offender see that the Bishop and Deacons are innocent and unblamable, and the flock pure, he will either not venture to despise their authority, and to enter into the church of God at all, as one smitten by his own conscience; or if he value nothing, and venture to enter in, either he will be convicted immediately, as Uzza at the ark, when he touched it to support it, and as Joshua, | Achan when he stole the accursed thing, and as Gehazi when he coveted the money of Naaman; and so will be immediately punished; or else he will be admonished by the Pastor, and drawn to repentance. For when he looketh round the whole church, one by one, and can spy no blemish, either in the Bishop, or in the people who are under his care, he will be put to confusion, and pricked at the heart, and in a peaceable manner will go his way, with shame and many tears; and the flock will remain pure. He will apply himself to God with tears, and will repent of his sins, and have hope. Nay, the whole flock, at the sight of his tears, will be instructed, because a sinner avoideth destruction by repentance.
Chapter XI – How a Bishop ought to judge offenders
On this account, therefore, Bishop, endeavor to be pure in thine actions, and to adorn thy place and dignity, as sustaining the character of God among men in ruling over all men, over priests, kings, rulers, fathers, children, masters, and in general over all those who are subject to thee; and so sit in the church, when thou speakest, as having authority to judge offenders. For to you, Bishops, is it said, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth, shall be bound in heaven; and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth, shall be loosed in heaven.
Chapter XII – An Instruction how a Bishop ought to behave himself to the penitent
Do thou, therefore, Bishop, judge with authority, like God; yet receive the penitent. For God is a God of mercy. Rebuke those that sin; admonish those that do not turn; exhort those that stand to persevere in the things that are commendable; receive the penitent; because the Lord God hath promised with an oath to afford remission to the penitent for what things they have done amiss. And he saith by Ezekiel, Speak unto them, as I live, saith the Lord, I would not the death of a sinner, but that the wicked turn from his evil way, and live. Tarn ye, therefore, from your evil ways; for why will ye die, house of Israel? Here the Word affordeth hope to sinners, that, if they repent, they shall have hope of salvation; lest, despairing, they yield themselves up to their transgressions; but, having hope of salvation, they may be converted, and come to God with tears on account of their sins: so shall they receive pardon from him, as from a merciful Father.
Chapter XIII – That we ought to beware how we make trial of any sinful course
Yet it is very necessary that those who are innocent should continue so, and not make an experiment what sin is; that they may not have occasion for trouble, sorrow, and those lamentations which are in order to forgiveness. For how dost thou know, man, when thou sinnest, whether thou shalt live any number of days in this present state, that thou mayest have time to repent? For the time of thy departure out of this world is uncertain; and if thou die in sin, there will remain no repentance for thee; as God saith by David, In the grave, who will confess to thee? It becometh us, therefore, to be ready in the doing of our duty, that so we may await our passage into another world without sorrow. Wherefore also the sacred Word, speaking to thee by the wise Solomon, exhorteth, Prepare thy works against thine exit, and provide all beforehand in the field; lest some of the things necessary to thy journey be wanting; as the oil of piety was deficient in the five foolish virgins mentioned in the Gospel, when they, on account of their having extinguished their lamps of divine knowledge, were shut out of the bride-chamber. Wherefore, he who valueth the security of his soul will take care to be out of danger, by keeping free from sin, that so he may preserve to himself the advantage of his former good works. Do thou, therefore, so judge as executing judgment for God. For, as the Scripture saith, The judgment is the Lord’s. In the first place, therefore, condemn the guilty person with authority; afterwards try to bring him home with mercy and compassion, and readiness to receive him, promising him salvation if he will change his course of life, and come to repentance; and when he is penitent, do thou with thoughtfulness and solemnity receive him, remembering the Lord, who hath said there is joy in heaven over one sinner that repenteth.
Chapter XIV – Concerning those who affirm that a penitent is not to be received into the church; and concerning a righteous person, though he converse with a sinner
But if thou refuse to receive him that is penitent, thou exposest him to those who lie in wait to destroy, forgetting what David saith, Deliver not my soul, which confesseth to thee, unto destroying beasts. Wherefore Jeremiah, when he is exhorting men to repentance, saith, Shall not he that falleth arise? Or he that turneth away, cannot he return? Wherefore have my people gone back by a shameless backsliding? And they are hardened in their purpose. Turn, ye backsliding children, and I will heal your backslidings. Receive, therefore, him that is penitent, without any doubting. Be not hindered by those who unmercifully say that we must not be found with such, nor so much as speak to them. For these counsels are from men that are unacquainted with God and his providence, and from unreasonable judges and inexorable beasts. They are ignorant that we ought to avoid society with offenders, not in discourse, but in actions. For the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him. And again, If a land sinneth against me by trespassing grievously, and I stretch out my hand upon it, and break the staff of bread upon it, and send famine upon it, and destroy man and beast therein; though these three men, Noah, Job, and Daniel, were in the midst of it, they shall only save their own souls by their righteousness, saith the Lord God.
The Scripture hath most clearly shown, that a righteous man that is with a wicked man doth not perish with him. For in the present world the righteous and the wicked are mingled together in the common affairs of life, but not in holy communion; and in this the friends of God are guilty of no sin. For they do but imitate their Father who is in heaven, who maketh his sun to rise on the righteous and on the unrighteous, and sendeth his rain on the evil and on the good; and the righteous man undergoeth no peril on this account. For they who conquer, and they who are conquered, are in the same place of running; but only they who have nobly contended are where the garland is bestowed. And, No one is crowned, unless he strive lawfully. Foreveryone shall give account of himself, and God will not destroy the righteous with the wicked; for with him it is a constant rule, that innocence is never punished. For neither did he drown Noah, nor burn up Lot, nor destroy Rahab for company. And if ye desire to know how this matter was among us, Judas was one of us, and participated with us in the ministry; and Simon the magician received the seal of the Lord; yet, both the one and the other proving wicked, the former hanged himself; and the latter, as he flew in the air in a manner unnatural, was dashed against the earth. Moreover, Noah and his sons with him were in the ark; but Ham, who alone was wicked, received punishment in his son. But if fathers are not punished for their children, nor children for their fathers, it is thence clear that neither will wives be punished for their husbands, nor servants for their masters, nor one relation for another, nor one friend for another, nor the righteous for the wicked. But everyone will be required an account of his own doing. For neither was punishment inflicted on Noah for the world; nor was Lot destroyed by fire for the Sodomites; nor was Rahab slain for the inhabitants of Jericho; nor Israel for the Egyptians. For not a person’s dwelling with the wicked, but his agreeing with them in disposition, condemneth him. We ought not, therefore, to hearken to those who call for death, and hate mankind, and love accusations; and, under fair pretences, bring men to death. For one man shall not die for another, but everyone is held with the chains of his own sins. And, Behold the man, and his work is before his face. Now, we ought to assist those who are with us, and are in danger, and fall; and, as far as lieth in our power, to bring them back to sobriety by our exhortations, and to save them from death. For they that are whole need not a physician, but they that are sick. Since it is not pleasing in the sight of your Father that one of these little ones should perish. For we ought not to establish the will of hard-hearted men, but the will of the God and Father of the universe, which is revealed to us by Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom be glory forever. Amen.
For it is not equitable that thou, Bishop, who art the head, shouldst submit to the tail; that is, to some seditious person among the laity unto the destruction of another, but to God alone. It is thy privilege to govern those under thee, but not to be governed by them. For neither doth a son, who is subject by the course of generation, govern his father; nor a servant, who is subject by law, govern his master; nor doth a scholar govern his teacher; nor a soldier, his king; nor any of the laity, his Bishop. For, that there is no reason to suppose such as converse with the wicked, in order to their instruction in the Word, to be denied by or to partake of their sins, Ezekiel, as it were on purpose, preventing the suspicions of ill-disposed persons, saith thus: Why do ye speak this proverb concerning the land of Israel? The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge. As I live, saith the Lord God, ye shall not henceforth have occasion to use this proverb in Israel. For all souls are mine; in like manner as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine. The soul that sinneth, it shall die. But the man who is righteous, and doeth judgment and justice (and so the prophet reckoneth up the rest of the virtues, and then addeth for a conclusion, such a one is just), he shall surely live, saith the Lord God. And if he beget a son who is a robber, a shedder of blood, and walketh not in the way of his righteous father (and when the prophet had added what followeth, he addeth in the conclusion), he shall certainly not live; he hath done all this wickedness; he shall surely die; his blood shall be upon him. Yet they will ask thee. Why? Doth not the son bear the iniquity of the father, or his righteousness, having exercised righteousness himself? And thou shalt say unto them, The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, and the father shall not bear the iniquity of the son. The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him; and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him. And a little after he saith, When the righteous turneth away from his righteousness and committeth iniquity, all his righteousness, by reason of all his wickedness which he hath committed, shall not be remembered. In his iniquity which he hath committed, and in his sin which he hath sinned, in them shall he die. And a little after he addeth, When the wicked turneth away from his wickedness which he hath committed, and doeth judgment and justice, he hath preserved his soul; he hath turned away from all his ungodliness which he hath done, he shall surely live, he shall not die. And afterwards, I will judge every one of you according to his ways, house of Israel, saith the Lord.
Chapter XV – That the Priest must neither overlook offences, nor be rash in punishing them
Observe, ye who are our beloved sons, how merciful, yet righteous, the Lord our God is; how gracious and kind to men; and yet, most certainly, He will not acquit the guilty; but he admitteth the returning sinner, and reviveth him, leaving no room for suspicion to such as would be savage in judging, and utterly reject offenders, and not vouchsafe them so much as any exhortations which might bring them to repentance. In contradiction to such, God. by Isaiah, saith to the Bishops, Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, ye Priests; speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem. It therefore behooveth you, upon hearing these words of his, to encourage those who have offended, and lead them to repentance, and afford them hope, and not vainly suppose that ye shall be partakers of their offences on account of love to such persons. Receive the penitent with alacrity, and rejoice over them, and with mercy and bowels of compassion judge the sinners.
For if a person was walking by the side of a river, and ready to stumble, and thou shouldst push him and thrust him into the river, instead of offering him thy hand for his assistance, thou wouldst be guilty of the murder of thy brother; whereas thou oughtest rather to lend thy helping hand, as he was ready to fall, lest he perish without remedy; that both the people may take warning, and the offender may not utterly perish. It is thy duty, Bishop, neither to overlook the sins of the people, nor to reject those who are penitent, that thou mayest not unskilfully destroy the Lord’s flock, nor dishonor his new name, which is put on his people, and thou thyself be reproached as those ancient Pastors were, of whom God speaketh thus to Jeremiah: Many shepherds have destroyed my vineyard; they have polluted my heritage; and in another passage, My anger is waxed hot against the shepherds, and against the lambs shall I have indignation; and elsewhere, Ye are the Priests that dishonor my name.
Chapter XVI – Of Penance, The manner of it, and rules about it
When thou seest the offender, with severity command him to be cast out; and, as he is going out, let the deacons also treat him with severity, and then let them go and seek for him, and detain him out of the church; and when they come in, let them entreat thee for him. For our Saviour himself entreated his Father for those who had sinned; as it is written in the Gospel, Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do. Then order the offender to come in; and if upon examination thou find that he is penitent, and fit to be received at all into the church, when thou hast afflicted him his days of fasting, according to the degree of his offence, as two, three, five, or seven weeks, so set him at liberty, and speak such things to him as are suitable to be said in way of reproof, instruction, and exhortation to a sinner for his reformation; that so he may continue privately in his humility, and pray to God to be merciful to him, saying, If thou, Lord, shouldst mark iniquities, Lord, who should stand? For with thee there is propitiation. Of this sort of declaration is that which is said in the book of Genesis to Cain: Thou hast sinned, be quiet; that is, do not go on in sin. For that a sinner ought to be ashamed for his own sin, that oracle of God delivered to Moses concerning Miriam is a sufficient proof, when he prayed that she might be forgiven. For saith God to him, If her father had spit in her face, should she not be ashamed? Let her be shut out of the camp seven days to do so with offenders, when they profess their repentance; namely, to separate them, some determinate time, according to the proportion of their offence; and afterwards, like fathers to children, receive them again upon their repentance.
Chapter XVII – That a Bishop must be unblamable, and a pattern for those who are under his charge
But if the Bishop himself be an offender, how will he be able any longer to prosecute the offence of another? Or how will he be able to reprove another, while either he or his deacons, by the accepting of persons or the receiving of bribes, have not a clear conscience? For when the ruler asketh, and the judge receiveth, judgment is not brought to perfection; but when both are companions of thieves, and regardless of doing justice to the widows, those who are under the Bishop will not be able to support and vindicate him. For they will say to him what is written in the Gospel, Why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?
Let the Bishop, therefore, with his deacons, dread to hear any such thing; that is, let him give no occasion for it. For an offender, when he seeth any other doing as bad as himself, will be encouraged to do the very same things; and then the wicked one, taking occasion from a single instance, worketh in others (which God forbid); and by that means the flock will be destroyed. For the more offenders there are, the greater is the mischief that is done by them. Sin which passeth without correction groweth worse and worse, and spreadeth to others; since a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump; and one thief spreadeth the wickedness over a whole nation; and dead flies spoil the whole pot of sweet ointment; and when a king hearkeneth to unrighteous counsel, all the servants under him are wicked. So one scabby sheep, if not separated from those that are whole, infecteth the rest with the same distemper; and a man infected with the plague is to be avoided by all men; and a mad dog is dangerous to everyone that he toucheth. If therefore we neglect to separate the transgressor from the church of God, we shall make the Lord’s house a den of thieves. For it is the Bishop’s duty not to be silent in the case of offenders, but to convince them, to admonish them, to press them down, to afflict them with fastings; that so he may strike a pious dread into the rest. For the Scripture saith, Make ye the children of Israel pious. The Bishop must be one who discourageth sin by his exhortations, and setteth a pattern of righteousness, and proclaimeth those good things which are prepared by God, and declareth that wrath which will come at the day of judgment; lest he contemn and neglect the plantation of God, and, on account of his carelessness, hear that which is said in Hosea: Why have ye held your peace at impiety, and have reaped the fruit thereof?
Chapter XVIII – That a Bishop must take care that his people do not sin, considering that he is a watchman
Let the Bishop, therefore, extend his concern to all; to those who have not offended, that they may continue innocent; and to those who have offended, that they may repent. For to you the Lord saith, Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones. It is your duty also to give remission to the penitent. For as soon as one who hath offended saith in the sincerity of his soul, I have sinned against the Lord, the Holy Spirit answereth, The Lord also hath forgiven thy sin; be of good cheer; thou shalt not die. Be sensible, therefore, Bishop, of the dignity of thy place; that, as thou hast received the power of binding, so hast thou also that of loosing. Having therefore the power of loosing, come forth and behave thyself in this life as becometh thy place, knowing that thou hast a great account to give. For to whom, as the Scripture saith, men have entrusted much, of him they will require the more. For no man is free from sin, excepting him who was made man for us; since it is written, No man is pure from filthiness, no, not though he be but a day old. On which account, the lives and conversations of the ancient holy men and patriarchs are described; not that we may reproach them from our reading, but that we ourselves may repent, and have hope that we also shall obtain forgiveness. For their blemishes are to us both security and admonition, because we hence learn, when we have offended, that if we repent, we shall have pardon; since it is written, Who can boast that he hath a clean heart, and who dareth affirm that he is pure from sin? No man, therefore, is without sin. Do thou therefore labor to the utmost of thy power to be unblamable; and be careful in respect to all, lest anyone be made to stumble on thine account, and thereby perish. For the layman is solicitous only for himself, but thou for all, as having a greater burden and carrying a heavier load. For it is written, And the Lord said unto Moses, Thou and Aaron shall bear the sins of the priesthood.
Since, therefore, thou art to give an account of all, take care of all. Preserve those that are sound; admonish those that sin; and when thou hast afflicted them with fasting, give them ease by remission; and when with tears the offender beggeth readmission, receive him, and let the whole church pray for him; and, when by imposition of thy hand thou hast admitted him, give him leave to abide afterwards in the flock.
But the drowsy and the careless convert, strengthen, exhort, heal; knowing how great a reward thou shalt have for doing so, and how great danger thou wilt incur if thou neglect these duties. For Ezekiel speaketh thus to those overseers who take no care of the people:
Woe unto the shepherds of Israel, for they have fed themselves; the shepherds feed not the sheep, but themselves. Ye eat the milk, and are clothed with the wool; ye slay the strong; yc do not feed the sheep. The weak have ye not strengthened, nor have ye healed that which was sick, nor have ye bound up that which was broken, nor have ye brought again that which was driven away, nor have ye sought that which was lost; but with force and insult have ye ruled over them; and they were scattered, because there was no shepherd; and they became meat to all the beasts of the forest. And again: The shepherds did not search for my sheep; and the shepherds fed themselves, but they fed not my sheep. And a little after: Behold, I am against the shepherds, and I will require my sheep at their hands, and cause them to cease from feeding my sheep; nor shall the shepherds feed themselves any more. And I will deliver my sheep out of their hands, and they shall not be meat for them.
And he also addeth, speaking to the people, Behold, I will judge between sheep and sheep, and between rams and rams. Seemed it a small thing unto you to have eaten up the good pasture, and to have trodden down with your feet the residue of your pasture, and that the sheep have eaten what was trodden down with your feet? And a little after he addeth, And ye shall know that I am the Lord, and ye, the sheep of my pasture, are my men, saith the Lord God.
Chapter XIX – That a shepherd who is careless of his sheep, incurreth penalty; and that a sheep which doth not obey the shepherd, is punished
Hear, ye Bishops, and hear, ye of the laity, how God speaketh: I will judge between ram and ram, and between sheep and sheep. And he saith to the shepherds, Ye shall be judged for your unsldlfulness, and for destroying the sheep. That is, I will judge between one Bishop and another, and between one lay person and another, and between one ruler and another (for these sheep and these rams are not irrational, but rational creatures); lest at any time a lay person should say, I am a sheep, and not a sheep herd, and I am not concerned for myself; let the shepherd look to that; for he alone will be required to give an account for me. For as that sheep which will not follow its good shepherd is exposed to the wolves unto its destruction; so that which followeth a bad sheep herd is also exposed to unavoidable death, since his shepherd will devour him. Wherefore, care must be had to avoid destructive shepherds.
Chapter XX – How the governed are to obey the Bishops who are set over them
As to a good shepherd, let the lay person honor him, love him, revere him as his Lord, as his Master, as a high-priest of God, as a teacher of piety. For he that heareth him heareth Christ, and he that rejecteth him rejecteth Christ. And he who doth not receive Christ, doth not receive his God and Father; for, saith he, He that heareth you heareth me, and he that rejecteth you rejecteth me, and he that rejecteth me rejecteth him that sent me.
In like manner, let the Bishop love the laity as his children, fostering and cherishing them with affectionate diligence; as eggs in order to the hatching of young ones; or as young ones, taking them in his arms, and rearing them into birds; admonishing all men, reproving all who stand in need of reproof; reproving, but not striking; pressing them down to make them ashamed, but not overthrowing them; warning them in order to their conversion, chiding them in order to their reformation and better course of life; watching the strong , that is, keeping him firm in the faith who is already strong; feeding the people peaceably; strengthening the weak, that is, confirming with exhortation that which is tempted; healing that which is sick, that is, curing by instruction that which is weak in the faith through doubtfulness of mind; binding up that which is broken, that is, binding up by comfortable admonitions that which is gone astray, or wounded, bruised, or broken by sins, and put out of the way; easing it of its offences, and giving hope: one that is thus invigorated, restore to the church; bring back to the flock. Bring again that which is driven away, that is, do not permit that which is in its sins, and is cast out by way of punishment, to continue excluded; but receiving it, and bringing it back, restore it to the flock, that is, to the people of the undefiled church. Seek for that which is lost, that is, do not suffer that which despondeth of its salvation, by reason of the multitude of its offences, utterly to perish. Search thou for that which is grown sleepy, drowsy, and sluggish, and that which is unmindful of its own life, through the depth of its sleep, and which is at a great distance from its own flock, so as to be in danger of falling among the wolves, and being devoured by them. Bring it back by admonition; exhort it to be watchful; and insinuate hope, not permitting it to say that which was said by some, Our impieties are upon us, and we pine away in them; how shall we then live?
As far as possible, therefore, let the Bishop make the offence his own, and say to the sinner, Do thou but return, and I will undertake to suffer death for thee, as our Lord suffered death for me and for all men. For the good shepherd layeth down his life for the sheep; but he that is a hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, that is, the devil, and leaveth the sheep and fleeth, and the wolf catcheth them. We must know, therefore, that God is very merciful to those who offend, and hath promised repentance with an oath. But he who hath offended, and is unacquainted with this promise of God concerning repentance, and doth not understand his long-suffering and forbearance; and besides, is ignorant of the Holy Scriptures, which proclaim repentance, and hath never learned them, perisheth through his folly.
But do thou, like a compassionate shepherd, and a diligent feeder of the flock, search out, and keep an account of the flock. Seek that which is wanting, as the Lord God our gracious Father hath sent his own Son, the good Shepherd and Saviour, our Master Jesus, and I hath commanded him to leave the ninety and nine upon the mountains , and to go in search after that which was lost; and, when he had found it, to take it upon his shoulders, and to carry it into the flock, rejoicing that he had found that which was lost.
In like manner be obedient, Bishop, and seek that which was lost; guide that which wandereth out of the right way; bring back that which is gone astray. For thou hast authority to bring them back, and to deliver those that are broken-hearted, by remission. By thee the Saviour saith to him who is discouraged under the sense of his sins, Thy sins are forgiven thee; thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace. But this peace and haven of tranquillity is the church of Christ, into which do thou, when thou hast loosed them from their sins, restore them, being now sound and unblamable, of good hope, diligent, laborious in good works. As a skilful and compassionate physician, heal all such as wander in the ways of sin; for they that are whole have no need of a physician, but they that are sick. For the Son of Man came to save and to seek that which was lost. Since thou art, therefore, a physician of the Lord’s church, provide remedies suit able to every patient’s case. Cure them, heal them by all means possible; restore them sound to the church. Feed the flock, not with insolence and contempt, as lording it over them, but as a gentle shepherd, gathering the lambs into thy bosom, and gently leading those which are with young.
Chapter XXI – That it is a dangerous thing to judge without hearing both sides, or to determine punishment against a person before he is convicted
Be gentle, gracious, mild; without guile, without falsehood; not rigid, not insolent, not severe, not arrogant, not unmerciful, not puffed up, not a man-pleaser, not timorous, not double-minded; not one that insulteth over the people that are under thee; not one that concealeth the divine laws, and the promises to repentance; not hasty in thrusting out and expelling, but cautious; not delighting in severity, nor rash. Do not admit less evidence to convict anyone than that of three witnesses, and those of known and established reputation. Inquire whether they do not accuse out of ill-will or envy; for there are many that delight in mischief, that are forward in discourse, slanderous, haters of the brethren, making it their business to scatter the sheep of Christ; whose affirmation if thou admittest without a careful scanning, thou wilt disperse thy flock, and betray it to be devoured by wolves, that is, by demons and wicked men, or rather not men, but wild beasts in the shape of men, by the heathen, by the Jews, and by the impious heretics. For those destroying wolves soon address themselves to anyone that is cast out of the church, and esteem him as a lamb delivered for them to devour, reckoning his destruction their own gain. For he that is their father, the devil, is a murderer.
He also who is separated unjustly by thy want of care in judging, will be overwhelmed with sorrow, and be disconsolate, and so will either wander among the heathen, or be entangled in heresies, and so be altogether estranged from the church, and from hope in God, and will be entangled in wickedness, whereby thou wilt be guilty of his perdition. For it is not fair to be too hasty in casting out an offender, but slow in receiving him when he returneth; to be forward in cutting off, but unmerciful when he is sorrowful, and ought to be healed. For of such as these the divine Scripture saith, Their feet run to mischief; they are hasty to shed innocent blood. Destruction and misery are in their ways; and the way of peace they have not known. The fear of God is not before their eyes. Now, the way of peace is our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath taught us, saying, Forgive, and ye shall be forgiven; give, and it shall be given to you. That is, give remission of sins, and your offences shall be forgiven you. As also he instructed us by his prayer to say unto God, For give us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
If, therefore, ye do not forgive offenders, how can ye expect the remission of your own sins? Do ye not rather bind yourselves more firmly, by pretending in your prayers to forgive, when ye really do not forgive? Will ye not be confronted with your own words, when ye say ye forgive, and do not forgive? For know ye, that he who casteth out one that hath not behaved himself wickedly, or who will not receive him that returneth, is a murderer of his brother, and sheddeth his blood, as Cain did that of his brother Abel; and his blood crieth to God, and will be required. For a righteous man unjustly slain by anyone will be in rest with God forever. The same is the case of him who, without cause, is separated by his Bishop. He who hath cast him out as a pestilent fellow, when he was innocent, is more furious than a murderer. Such a one hath no regard to the mercy of God, nor is mindful of his goodness to those that are penitent, not keeping in his eye the examples of those who, having been once great offenders, received forgiveness upon their repentance. On which account, he who casteth off an innocent person is more cruel than he that murdereth the body. In like manner, he who doth not receive the penitent scattereth the flock of Christ, being really against him. For as God is just in judging sinners, so is he merciful in receiving them when they return; for David, the man after God’s own heart, sang to him both of mercy and of judgment.
Chapter XXII – That David, the Ninevites, Hezekiah, and his son Manasseh, are eminent examples of repentance
It is thy duty, Bishop, to have before thine eyes the examples of those that have gone before, and to apply them skilfully to the cases of those who need words of severity or of consolation. Besides, it is reasonable that, in thine administration of justice, thou shouldst follow the will of God; and as God dealeth with sinners, and with those who return, that thou shouldst act accordingly in thy judging. Now did not God, by Nathan, reproach David for his offence? And yet, as soon as he said that he repented, he delivered him from death, saying, Be of good dicer, thou shalt not die. So also when God had caused Jonah to be swallowed up by the sea and the whale, upon his refusing to preach to the Ninevites; when yet he prayed to him out of the belly of the whale, he retrieved his life from corruption.
And when Hezekiah had been puffed up for a while, yet, as soon as he prayed with lamentation, he remitted his offence. Moreover, ye Bishops, hearken to an instance useful on this occasion. For it is written thus in the fourth book of Kings and the second book of Chronicles: And Hezekiah died, and Manasseh his son reigned. He was twelve years old when he began to reign; and he reigned fifty and five years in Jerusalem, and his mother’s name was Hephzibah. And he did evil in the sight of the Lord; and he did not abstain from the abominations of the heathen, whom the Lord destroyed from the face of the children of Israel. And Manasseh returned, and built the high places which Hezekiah his father had overthrown; and he reared pillars for Baal, and set up an altar for Baal, and made groves, as did Ahab, king of Israel. And he made altars in the house of the Lord, of which the Lord spake to David and to Solomon his son, saying, Therein will I put my name. And Manasseh set up altars, and by them served Baal, and said, My name shall continue forever. And he built altars to the host of heaven, in the two courts of the house of the Lord; and he made his children pass through the fire in the valley of the son of Hinnom; and he consulted enchanters, and dealt with wizards and familiar spirits, and with conjurers, and observers of times, and with Teraphim; and he sinned exceedingly in the eyes of the Lord, to provoke him to anger; and he set a molten and a graven image, the image of his grove, which he made in the house of the Lord, wherein the Lord had chosen to put his name in Jerusalem the holy city forever, and had said, I will no more remove my foot from the land of Israel, which I gave to their fathers; only if they will observe to do according to all that I have commanded them, and according to all the precepts that my servant Moses commanded them. And they hearkened not. And Manasseh seduced them to do more evil before the Lord than did the nations whom the Lord cast out from the face of the children of Israel. And the Lord spake concerning Manasseh, and concerning his people, by the hand of his servants the prophets, saying, Because Manasseh, king of Judah, hath done all these wicked abominations in a higher degree than the Amorite did who was before him, and hath made Judah to sin with his idols; thus saith the Lord God of Israel, Behold, I bring evils upon Jerusalem and Judah, that whosoever heareth of them, both his ears shall tingle. And I will stretch over Jerusalem the line of Samaria, and the plummet of the house of Ahab; and I will blot out Jerusalem, as a tablet is blotted out by wiping it. And I will turn it upside down, and I will give up the remnant of mine inheritance, and will deliver them into the hands of their enemies; and they shall become a prey and a spoil to all their enemies; because of all the evils which they have done in mine eyes, and have provoked me to anger from the day that I brought their fathers out of the land of Egypt, even until this day. Moreover, Manasseh shed innocent blood very much, till he had filled Jerusalem from one end to another; besides his sins wherewith he made Judah to sin in doing evil in the sight of the Lord.
And the Lord brought upon him the captains of the host of the king of Assyria; and they caught Manasseh in bonds, and they bound him in fetters of brass, and brought him to Babylon; and he was bound and shackled with iron all over in the house of the prison.; and bread made of bran was given unto him scantily, and by weight, and water mixed with vinegar, but a little and by measure, so much as would keep him alive, and he was in straits and sore affliction.
And when he was violently afflicted, he besought the face of the Lord his God, and humbled himself greatly before the face of the Lord God of his fathers. And he prayed unto the Lord, saying:
Lord, Almighty God of our fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and of their righteous seed; who hast made heaven and earth, with all the ornament thereof; who hast bound the sea by the word of thy commandment; who hast shut up the deep, and sealed it by thy terrible and glorious name; whom all things fear, and they trem ble before thy power. For the majesty of thy glory cannot be borne; and thine angry threatening towards sinners is insupportable. But thy merciful promise is unmeasurable and unsearchable; for thou art the most high Lord, of great compassion, long-suffering, very merciful, and repentest thee at the calamities of men. Thou, Lord, according to thy great goodness, hast promised forgiveness to them that have sinned against thee; and of thine infinite mercy hast appointed repentance unto sinners, that they may be saved. Thou, therefore, Lord, that art the God of the just, hast not appointed repentance to the just, as to Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, who have not sinned against thee; but thou hast appointed repentance unto me that am a sinner; for I have sinned above the number of the sands of the sea. My transgressions, Lord, are multiplied, my transgressions are multiplied; and I am not worthy to behold and see the height of heaven, for the multitude of mine iniquities. I am bowed down with many iron bands, so that I cannot lift up my head, nor have any release; for I have provoked thy wrath, and done evil be fore thee. I did not thy will, nor kept thy commandments. I have set up abominations, and have multiplied offences. Now, therefore, I bow the knee of my heart, imploring thy grace. I have sinned, Lord, I have sinned, and I acknowledge mine iniquities. Wherefore,
1 humbly beseech thee, forgive me, Lord, forgive me, and destroy me not with mine iniquities. Be not angry with me forever, by reserving evil for me; nor condemn me into the lower part of the earth. For thou art the God, even the God of them that repent, and in me thou wilt show all thy goodness; for thou wilt save me that am unworthy, according to thy great mercy. Therefore I will praise thee forever all the days of my life; for all the powers of the heavens do praise thee, and thine is the glory forever and ever. Amen.
And the Lord heard his voice, and had compassion upon him; and there appeared a flame of fire about him, and all the iron shackles and chains fell off; and the Lord healed Manasseh from his affliction, and brought him back to Jerusalem unto his kingdom; and Manasseh knew that the Lord is God alone. And he worshipped the Lord God alone, with all his heart, and with all his soul, all the days of his life; and he was esteemed righteous; and he took away the strange gods, and the graven image out of the house of the Lord, and all the altars which he had built in the house of the Lord, and all the altars in Jerusalem; and he cast them out of the city. And he repaired the altar of the Lord, and sacrificed thereon peace-offerings and thank-offerings. And he spake to Judah to serve the Lord God of Israel. And he slept in peace with his fathers; and Amon his son reigned in his stead. And he did evil in the sight of the Lord, according to all things that Manasseh his father had done in the former part of his reign; and he provoked the Lord his God to anger.’
Ye have heard, our beloved children, how the Lord God for a while punished him that was addicted to idols, and had slain many innocent persons; and vet that he received him when he repented, and forgave him his offences, and restored him to his kingdom. For he not only forgiveth the penitent, but reinstateth them in their former dignity.
Chapter XXIII – Amon may be an example to such as sin with a high hand
There is no sin more grievous than idolatry; for it is an impiety against God; and yet even this sin hath been forgiven, upon sincere repentance. But if anyone sin in direct opposition, and on purpose to try whether God will punish the wicked or not, such a one shall have no remission, although he say with himself, All is well, and I will walk according to the conversation of mine evil heart. Such a one was Amon, the son of Manasseh. For the Scripture saith, And Amon reasoned an evil reasoning of transgression, and said, My father from his childhood was a great transgressor, and repented in his old age; and now I will walk as my soul listeth; and afterwards I will return unto the Lord. And he did evil in the sight of the Lord above all that were before him. And the Lord God soon destroyed him utterly from his good land. And his servants con spired against him, and slew him in his own house; and he reigned two years only.
Chapter XXIV – That Christ Jesus our Lord came to save sinners by repentance
Take heed, therefore, ye of the laity, lest anyone of you fix the reasoning of Amon in his heart, and be suddenly cut off, and perish. In the same manner, let the Bishop take all the care he can that those who are yet innocent may not fall into sin. And let him heal and receive those who turn from their sins. But if he is pitiless, and will not receive the repenting sinner, he will sin against the Lord his God, pretending to be more just than God’s justice, and not receiving him whom He hath received through Christ; for whose sake he sent his Son upon earth to men, as a man; for whose sake God was pleased that he who was the Maker of man and woman should be born of a woman; for whose sake he did not spare him from the cross, from death and burial; but permitted him to die who by nature could not suffer; his beloved Son, God the Word; the angel of his great council; that he might deliver those from death who were obnoxious to death. Him do those provoke to anger who do not receive the penitent. For he was not ashamed of me, Matthew, who was formerly a publican; and admitted Peter, who had through fear denied him three times, but had appeased him by repentance, and had wept bitterly; nay, he made him a shepherd to his own lambs. Moreover, he ordained Paul, our fellow apostle, to be of a persecutor an apostle, and declared him a chosen vessel, even when he had heaped many mischiefs upon us before, and had blasphemed his sacred name. He saith also to another, a woman that was a sinner, Thy sins are many, are forgiven; for thou lovedst much. And when the elders, setting before him another woman who had sinned, had left the sentence to him, and were gone out, our Lord, the searcher of hearts, inquiring of her whether the elders had condemned her, and being answered No, he said unto her, Go thy way, therefore, for neither do I condemn thee.
Ye Bishops, this Jesus, our Saviour, our King, and our God, ought to be set before you as a pattern; and him ye ought to imitate, in being meek, quiet, compassionate, merciful, peaceable, free from anger, apt to teach, and diligent to convert, willing to receive and to comfort; no strikers, not soon angry, not injurious, not arrogant, not supercilious, not wine-bibbers, not drunkards, not vainly expensive, not lovers of delicacies, not extravagant; using the gifts of God, not as another’s, but as one’s own; as good stewards appointed over them, as those who will be required by God to give an account of the same. Let the Bishop esteem such food and raiment sufficient as suit necessity and decency. Let him not make use of the Lord’s goods as another’s, but moderately; for the laborer is worthy of his reward. Let him not be luxurious in diet, nor fond of idle furniture; but let him desire those things only which belong to his condition.
Chapter XXV – Of first-fruits and tithes; and after what manner the Bishop is him
self to partake of them, or to distribute them to others
Let him use those tenths and first-fruits which are given according to the command of God, as a man of God. Let him dispense in a right manner the freewill offerings which are brought in on account of the poor, the orphans, the widows, the afflicted, and strangers in distress, as having that God for the examiner of his accounts who hath committed the disposition to him. Moreover, distribute with righteousness to all those who are in want; and use, yourselves, the things which belong to the Lord, but do not abuse them; eating of them, but not eating them all up by yourselves. Communicate with those that are in want, and thereby show yourselves unblamable before God. For if ye shall consume them by yourselves, ye will be reproached by God, who saith, as to insatiable and selfish devourers. Ye eat up the milk, and clothe yourselves with the wool; and in another passage, Must ye alone live upon the earth. On which account ye are commanded in the law, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.
Now we say these things, not as if ye might not partake of the fruits of your labors; for it is written, Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox which treadeth out the corn; but that ye should do it with moderation and righteousness. As therefore the ox that laboreth in the threshing-floor without a muzzle, eateth indeed, but doth not eat all up; so do ye who labor in the threshing-floor, that is, in the church of God, eat of the church; which was also the case of the Levites, who served in the tabernacle of the testimony, which was in all things a type of the church.
Moreover, also, its very name implied that that tabernacle was fore-appointed for a testimony of the church. Here, therefore, the Levites, who attended upon the tabernacle, partook of those things which were offered to God by all the people, namely, gifts, offerings, and first-fruits, and tithes, and sacrifices, and oblations, without disturbance, they and their wives, and their sons, and their daughters. Since their employment was the ministration of the tabernacle, therefore they had not any lot or inheritance in the land among the children of Israel, because the oblations of the people were the lot of Levi, and the inheritance of their tribe.
Ye, therefore, at the present day, Bishops, are to your people priests and Levites, ministering to the holy tabernacle, the holy catholic church; who stand at the altar of the Lord your God, and offer to him reasonable and unbloody sacrifices, through Jesus, the great High Priest. Ye are to the laity, prophets, rulers, governors, and kings; the mediators between God and his faithful people, who receive and declare his word, well acquainted with the Scriptures. Ye are the voice of God, and witnesses of his will, who bear the sins of all, and intercede for all; whom, as ye have heard, the Word severely threateneth, if ye hide from men the key of knowledge, who are liable to perdition, if ye do not declare his will to the people that are under you; who shall have a sure reward from God, and unspeakable honor and glory, if ye duly minister to the holy tabernacle. For as yours is the burden, so ye receive, as your fruit, the supply of food and other necessaries. For ye imitate Christ the Lord; and, as he bare the sins of us all upon the tree, at his crucifixion, the innocent for those who deserved punishment; so also ye ought to make the sins of the people your own. For concerning our Saviour, it is said in Isaiah, He beareth our sins, and is afflicted for us. And again, He bare the sins of many, and was delivered for their offences. As therefore ye are patterns for others, so ye have Christ for your pattern; as therefore he himself is the pattern for you all, so are ye for the laity under you. Think not that the office of a Bishop is an easy or light burden. As therefore ye bear the weight, so ye have a right to partake of the fruits before others, and to impart to those that are in want, as having to give an account to Him who without bias will examine your accounts.
For they who attend upon the church ought to be maintained by the church, as being priests, Levites, presidents, and ministers of God. As it is written in the book of Numbers concerning the priests: And the Lord said unto Aaron, Thou and thy sons; and the house of thy family, shall bear the iniquities of the sanctuary and of your priesthood. Behold, I have given unto you the charge of the first-fruits. From all that are sanctified to me by the children of Israel; I have given them for a reward to thee, and to thy sons after thee, by an ordinance forever. This shall be yours out of the holy things, out of the oblations, and out of the gifts, and out of all the sacrifices, and out of every trespass-offering and sin-offering, and all that they render unto me out of all their holy things; they shall belong to thee, and to thy sons. In the sanctuary shall they eat them. And a little after: All the first-fruits of the oil, and of the wine, and of the wheat, and all that they shall give unto the Lord, to thee have I given them; and all that is first ripe, to thee have I given it, and every devoted thing. Every first-born of man and of beast, clean and unclean, and the breast and the right shoulder of a sacrifice, appertain to the priests, and to the rest who continue with them, namely, the Levites.
Hear this, ye of the laity also, the elect church of God. For the people were formerly called, the people of God, and a holy nation. Ye, therefore, are the holy and sacred church of God, enrolled in heaven, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people, a bride adorned for the Lord God, a great church, a faithful church. Hear attentively now what was said formerly: Oblations and tithes belong to Christ, our High Priest, and to those who minister to him. Tithes of salvation are the first letter of the name of Jesus. Hear, thou holy catholic church, who hast escaped the ten plagues, and hast received the ten commandments, and hast learned the law, and hast kept the faith, and hast believed in Jesus, and art named after his name, and art established, and shinest in the consummation of his glory. Those which were then the sacrifices are now prayers, and intercessions, and thanksgivings. Those which were then first-fruits, and tithes, and offerings, and gifts, are now oblations, which are presented by holy Bishops to the Lord God, through Jesus Christ, who hath died for them. For these are your high priests, as the presbyters are your priests; and your present deacons are instead of the Levites, as are also your readers, your singers, your porters, your deaconesses, your widows, your virgins, and your orphans. But he who is above all these is the high priest.
Chapter XXVI – According to what pattern and dignity every order of the clergy is appointed by God
The Bishop is the minister of the Word, the keeper of knowledge, the mediator between God and you in the several parts of your divine worship. He is the teacher of piety; and, next after God, he is your father, who hath begotten you again to the adoption of sons by water and the Spirit. He is your ruler and governor; he is your king and potentate; he is, next after God, your earthly god, who hath a right to be honored by you. For concerning him and such as he, it is that God pronounceth, I have said, Ye are gods, and ye are all children of the Most High; and, Ye shall not speak evil of the gods.
Let the Bishop, therefore, preside over you as one honored with the authority of God, which he is to exercise over the clergy, and by which he is to govern all the people. But let the deacon minister to him as Christ doth to his Father, and let him serve him unblamably in all things, as Christ doeth nothing of himself, but doeth always those things that please his Father. Let also the deaconess be honored by you in the place of the Holy Ghost, and not do nor say anything without the deacon; as neither doth the Comforter say nor do anything of himself, but giveth glory to Christ by waiting for his pleasure. And as we cannot believe on Christ without the teaching of the Spirit, so let not any woman address herself to the deacon or to the Bishop without the deaconess. Let the presbyters be esteemed by you to represent us the apostles, and let them be the teachers of divine knowledge; since our Lord, when he sent us, said, Go ye, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost; teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you. Let the widows and orphans be esteemed as representing the altar of burnt-offering; and let the virgins be honored as representing the altar of incense, and the incense itself.
Chapter XXVII – That it is a horrible thing for a man to thrust himself into any sacerdotal office, as did Corall and his company, Saul, and Uzziah
As therefore it was not lawful for one of another tribe, that was not a Levite, to offer anything, or to approach the altar without the priest; so also do ye nothing without the Bishop. But if anyone doeth anything without the Bishop, he doeth it to no purpose. For it will not be esteemed as of any avail to him. For as Saul, when he had offered without Samuel, was told, It will not avail for thee; so every person among the laity, doing anything without the priest, laboreth in vain. And as Uzziah the king, who was not a priest, and yet would exercise the functions of the priests, was smitten with leprosy for his transgression; so every lay-person shall be punished who despiseth God, and, raging against his priests, snatcheth the honor to himself; not imitating Christ, who glorified not himself to be made a High Priest, but waited till he heard from his Father, The Lord sware, and will not repent, Thou art a Priest forever after the order of Melchisedek. If, therefore, Christ did not glorify himself without God the Father, how dareth any man thrust himself into the priesthood who hath not received that dignity from his superior, and do those things which it is lawful only for the priests to do? Were not the followers of Corah, even they who were of the tribe of Levi, consumed with fire, because they rose up against Moses and Aaron, and meddled with such things as did not belong to them? And Dathan and Abiram went down quick into hell; and the rod that budded put a stop to the madness of the multitude, and showed who was the high priest ordained by God.
Ye ought, therefore, brethren, to bring your sacrifices and your oblations to the Bishop, as to your high priest, either by yourselves or by the deacons; and bring to him not those only, but also your first-fruits, and your tithes, and your free-will offerings. For He knoweth who they are that are in affliction, and giveth to every one as is convenient, so that one may not receive alms twice or oftener the same day or the same week, while another hath nothing at all. For it is reasonable rather to supply the wants of those who are really in distress, than of those who only appear to be so.
Chapter XXVIII – Of an entertainment; and how each distinct order of the clergy is to be treated by those who invite them to it
If any determine to invite elder women to an entertainment of love or a feast, as our Saviour hath denominated it, let them most frequently send to her whom the deacons know to be in distress.
But let what is the pastor’s due, I mean the first-fruits, be set apart in the feast for him (even though he be not at the entertainment), as being your priest, and in honor of that God who hath entrusted him with the priesthood. But whatever be the portion given to each of the elder women, let double be given to the deacons, in honor of Christ. Let also a double portion be set apart for the presbyters, as for those who labor about the Word and doctrine, on account of the apostles of our Lord, whose place they sustain as the counsellors of the Bishop, and the crown of the church. For they are the sanhedrim and senate of the church. If there be a reader there, let him receive a single portion, in honor of the prophets; and let the singer and the porter have as much.
Let the laity, therefore, pay to each distinct order the proper honor, in gifts and in respectful deportment. But let them not on all occasions trouble their ruler; but let them signify their desires by those who minister to him, that is, by the deacons, with whom they may be more free. For neither may we address ourselves to Almighty God, but only by Christ. In the same manner, therefore, let the laity make known all their desires to the Bishop by the deacon; and accordingly let them act as he shall direct them. For there was no holy thing offered or done in the temple formerly without the priest: for the priest’s lips shall keep knowledge, and they shall seek the Law at his mouth; as the prophet somewhere saith; for he is the messenger of the Lord Almighty. For if the worshippers of demons, in their hateful, abominable, and impure performances till this very day, imitate the sacred rules (it is a wide comparison indeed, and there is a vast distance between their abominations and God’s sacred worship), they neither offer nor do anything in their delusive acts of worship, without their pretended priest; but they esteem him as the very mouth of their idols of stone, waiting to see what commands he will lay upon them. And whatsoever he commandeth them, that they do; and without him they do nothing; and they honor their pretended priest himself, and esteem his name as venerable in honor of lifeless statues, and in order to the worship of wicked spirits. If these heathens, therefore, who give glory to lying vanities, and place their hope on nothing that is firm, endeavor to imitate the sacred rules, how much more reasonable is it that ye, who have a most certain faith and undoubted hope, and who expect glorious, and eternal, and never-failing promises, should honor the Lord God in those who are set over you, and esteem the Bishops to be the mouth of God!
Chapter XXIX – What is the dignity of a Bishop and of a Deacon
For if Aaron, because he declared to Pharaoh the words of God from Moses, is called a prophet, and Moses himself is called a god to Pharaoh, on account of his being at once a king and a high priest, as God saith to him, I have made thee a god to Pharaoh, and Aaron thy brother shall be thy prophet; why do not ye also esteem the mediators of the word to be prophets, and revere them as gods?
Chapter XXX – After what manner the Laity are to be obedient to the Deacon
For now the Deacon is to you Aaron; and the Bishop, Moses. If, therefore, Moses was called a god by the Lord, let the Bishop be honored among you as a god, and the Deacon as his prophet. For as Christ doeth nothing without his Father, so neither doeth the Deacon anything without his Bishop. And as the Son without his Father is nothing, so is the Deacon nothing without his Bishop. And as the Son is subject to his Father, so is every Deacon subject to his Bishop; and as the Son is the messenger and prophet of the Father, so is the Deacon the messenger and prophet of his Bishop. Wherefore, let all things that he is to do with anyone be made known to the Bishop, and by him be perfected.
Chapter XXXI – That the Deacon must not do anything without the Bishop
Let him not do anything at all without his Bishop, nor give anything without his consent. For if he give to anyone as to a person in distress, without the Bishop’s knowledge, he will give it so that it must tend to the reproach of the Bishop, and will accuse him as careless of the distressed. But he that casteth reproach on his Bishop, either by word or by deed, opposeth God, not hearkening to what he saith, Thou shalt not speak evil of the gods. For he did not make that law concerning deities of wood and of stone, which are abominable, because they are falsely called gods; but concerning the priests and the judges, to whom God also said, Ye are gods and children of the Most High.
Chapter XXXII – That the Deacon must not make any distributions without the consent of the Bishop, because that will turn to the reproach of the Bishop
If, therefore, Deacon, thou knowest anyone to be in distress, put the Bishop in mind of him, and so give to him; but do nothing in a clandestine way, tending to his reproach, lest thou raise a murmur against him. For the murmur will not be against him, but against the Lord God. And the Deacon, with the rest, will hear what Aaron and Miriam heard, when they spake against Moses, How is it that ye were not afraid to speak against my servant Moses? And again, Moses saith to those who rose up against him, Your murmuring is not against us, but against the Lord our God. For if he that calleth one of the laity Raca, or fool, shall be punished as doing injury to the name of Christ, how dareth any man speak against his Bishop, by whom the Lord gave the Holy Spirit among you upon the laying on of his hands; by whom ye have learned the sacred doctrines, and have known God, and have believed in Christ; by whom ye were known of God; by whom ye were sealed with the oil of gladness and the ointment of understanding; by whom ye were declared to be the children of light; by whom the Lord in your illumination testified by the imposition of the Bishop’s hands, and sent out his sacred voice upon every one of you, saying, Thou art my son, this day have I begotten thee. By thy Bishop, man, God adopteth thee for his child. Acknowledge, son, that right hand which was a mother to thee. Love him who, after God, is become a father to thee, and honor him.
Chapter XXXIII – After what manner the Priests are to be honored and to be reverenced as our spiritual parents
For if the Divine Oracle saith concerning our parents according to the flesh, Honor thy father and thy mother, that it may be well with thee; and, He that curseth his father or his mother, let him die the death; how much more should the Word exhort you to honor your spiritual parents, and to love them as your benefactors and ambassadors with God, who have regenerated you by water, and endued you with the fulness of the Holy Spirit, who have fed you with the word as with milk, who have nourished you with doctrine, who have confirmed you by their admonitions, who have imparted to you the saving body and precious blood of Christ, who have loosed you from your sins, who have made you partakers of the holy and sacred Eucharist, who have admitted you to be partakers and fellow-heirs of the promise of God! Reverence these, and honor them with all kinds of honor; for they have received from God the power of life and death in judging sinners and condemning them to the death of eternal fire, as also in loosing the penitent from their sins, and restoring them to a new life.
Chapter XXXIV – That the Priests are to be preferred before the Rulers and Kings
Account these worthy to be esteemed your rulers and kings, and bring them tribute as to kings. For by you they and their families ought to be maintained. As Samuel made constitutions for the people concerning a king, in the first book of Kings, and Moses, concerning priests, in Leviticus; so do we also make constitutions for you concerning Bishops. For if there the multitude distributed the inferior services in proportion to so great a king, ought not therefore the Bishop much more now to receive of you those things which are divinely determined for the sustenance of himself, and of the rest of the clergy with him? But, if anything further ought to be said, let the Bishop receive more than the other received of old. For he only managed the affairs of the soldiery, being intrusted with war and peace for the preservation of men’s bodies; but the other is intrusted with the exercise of the priestly office in relation to God. in order to preserve both body and soul from dangers. By how much, therefore, the soul is more valuable than the body, so much the priestly office is beyond the kingly. For it bindeth and looseth those that are worthy of punishment or of remission. Wherefore, ye ought to love the Bishop as your father, and fear him as your king, and honor him as your lord, bringing to him your fruits and the works of your hands, for a blessing upon you, giving to him your first-fruits, and your tithes, and your oblations, and your gifts, as to the priest of God; the first-fruits of your wheat, and wine, and oil, and autumnal fruits, and wool, and all things which the Lord God giveth thee. And thine offering shall be accepted as a savor of a sweet smell to the Lord thy God; and the Lord will bless the works of thy hands, and will multiply the good things of thy land. For a blessing is upon the head of him that giveth.
Chapter XXXV – That both the Law and the Gospel prescribe offerings
Now ye ought to know, that although the Lord hath delivered you from the additional bonds, and hath brought you out of them to your refreshment, and doth not permit you to sacrifice irrational creatures for sin-offerings, and purifications, and scape-goats, and continual washings and sprinklings, yet hath he nowhere freed you from those oblations which ye owe to the priests, nor from doing so to the poor. For the Lord saith to you in the Gospel, Unless your righteousness abound more than that of the Scribes and Pharisees, ye shall by no means enter into the kingdom of heaven. Now herein will your righteousness exceed theirs, if ye take greater care of the priests, the orphans, and the widows: as it is written, He hath scattered abroad, he hath given to the poor, his righteousness remaineth forever. And again, By acts of righteousness and faith, iniquities are purged. And again, Every bountiful soul is blessed.
So, therefore, shalt thou do as the Lord hath appointed, and shalt give to the priest what things are due to him, the first-fruits of thy floor and of thy wine-press, and sin-offerings, as to the mediator between God and such as stand in need of purification and forgiveness. For it is thy duty to give, and his to administer, as being the administrator and disposer of ecclesiastical affairs.
Yet thou shalt not call thy Bishop to account, nor watch his administration, how he performeth it, when, or to whom, or where, or whether he do it well or ill, or indifferently; for he hath one who will call him to an account, the Lord God, who put this administration into his hands, and thought him worthy of the priesthood of so great dignity.
Chapter XXXVI – Mention of the ten commandments; and after what manner they prescribe
Have before thine eyes the fear of God, and always remember the ten commandments of God: to love the one and only Lord God with all thy strength; to give no heed to idols, or such like, as being lifeless gods, or irrational beings, or demons. Consider the manifold workmanship of God, which received its beginning through Christ. Thou shalt observe the Sabbath, on account of Him who ceased from his work of creation, but ceased not from his work of providence. It is a rest for meditation of the law, not for idleness of the hands. Reject every unlawful lust, everything destructive to men, and all anger. Honor thy parents, as the authors of thy being. Love thy neighbor as thyself. Communicate the necessaries of life to the needy. Avoid swearing falsely, and swearing often, and in vain; for thou shalt not be held guiltless. Appear not before the priests empty; and offer thy free-will offerings continually. Moreover, do not neglect the church of Christ; but go thither in the morning before all thy work, and again meet there in the evening, to return thanks to God that he hath preserved thy life. Be diligent, and constant, and laborious in thy calling. Offer to the Lord thy free-will offerings; for saith he, Honor the Lord with the fruit of thine honest labors. If thou art not able to cast anything considerable into the sacred treasury, yet at least bestow upon the strangers one or two or five mites. Lay up for thyself heavenly treasure, which neither the moth nor thieves can destroy. And, in doing this, judge not thy Bishop, nor any of thy neighbors among the laity; for if thou judge thy brother, thou becomest a judge, without being constituted such by anybody; for the priests only are intrusted with the power of judging. For to them it is said, Judge righteous judgment; and again, Approve yourselves to be exact money-changers. For to you this is not intrusted; for, on the contrary, it is said to those who are not of the dignity of magistrates or ministers, Judge not, and ye shall not be judged.
Chapter XXXVII – Concerning accusers and false accusers; and how a judge is not rashly either to believe them or to disbelieve them, but after an accurate examination
But it is the duty of the Bishop to judge rightly; as it is written, Judge righteous judgment; and elsewhere, Why do ye not even of yourselves, judge what is right? Be ye therefore as skilful dealers in money. For as these reject bad money, but take to themselves what is current: in the same manner it is the Bishop’s duty to retain the unblamable, but either to heal, or, if they be past cure, to cast off those that are blameworthy, so as not to be hasty in cutting off, nor to believe all accusations. For it sometimes happeneth that some, either through passion or envy, insist on a false accusation against a brother; as did the two elders in the case of Susanna, in Babylon, and the Egyptian woman in the case of Joseph. Do thou, therefore, as a man of God, not rashly receive such accusations, lest thou take away the innocent, and slay the righteous. For he that will receive such accusations is the author of anger, rather than of peace. But where there is anger, there the Lord is not. For that anger, which is the friend of Satan, I mean that which is excited unjustly by the means of false brethren, never suffereth unanimity to be in the church. Wherefore, when ye know such persons to be foolish, quarrelsome, passionate, and delighting in mischief, do not give credit to them; but observe such as they are, when ye hear anything from them against their brother. For murder is nothing in their eyes, and they cast a man down in such a way as one would not suspect.
Do thou, therefore, consider diligently the accuser, wisely observing his conversation, what, and of what sort, it is; and in case thou find him a man of veracity, do according to the doctrine of the Lord; and, taking him who is accused, rebuke him privately, that he may repent. But, if he be not persuaded, take with thee one or two more, and thus show him his fault, and admonish him with mildness and instruction; for wisdom will rest upon a heart that is good, but is not understood in the heart of the foolish.
Chapter XXXVIII – That they who sin are to be privately reproved, and the penitent to be received, according to the constitution of our Lord
If, therefore, he be persuaded by the mouth of you three, it is well. But if anyone harden himself, Tell it to the church. But if he neglect to hear the church, let him be to thee as a heathen man and a publican; and receive him no longer into the church as a Christian, but reject him as a heathen. But if he be willing to repent, receive him. For the church doth not receive a heathen or a publican to communion, before they every one repent of their former iniquities. For our Lord Jesus, the Christ of God, hath appointed place for the acceptance of men upon their repentance.
Chapter XXXIX – Examples of Repentance
For I, Matthew, one of the twelve who speak to you in this doctrine, am an apostle, having myself been formerly a publican, but now have obtained mercy through believing, and have repented of my former practices, and have been accounted worthy to be an apostle, and preacher of the word. And Zaccheus, whom the Lord received upon his repentance and prayers to him, was also himself in the same manner a publican at first. And besides, even the soldiers and multitude of publicans, who came to hear the word of the Lord concerning repentance, heard this from the prophet John, after he had baptized them, Do nothing more than that which is appointed you. In like manner, life is not refused to the heathen, if they repent, and cast away their unbelief.
Esteem, therefore, every one that is convicted of any wicked action, and has not repented, as a publican or a heathen. But if he afterwards repent, and turn from his error, then as we receive them into the church indeed to hear the word, but do not receive them to communion, until they, having received the seal, are made complete Christians; so do we also permit such as these to enter only to hear, until they show the fruit of repentance, that, by hearing the word, they may not utterly and irrecoverably perish. But let them not be admitted to communion in prayer; and let them depart after the reading of the Law, and the Prophets, and the Gospel, that by such departure they may be made better in their course of life, by endeavoring to meet every day about the public assemblies, and to be frequent in prayer, that they also may be at length admitted, and that those who behold them may be affected, and be more secured by fearing to fall into the same condition.
Chapter XL – That we are not to be implacable towards him who hath once or twice offended
But yet do not thou, Bishop, presently abhor any person who hath fallen into one or two offences, nor shalt thou exclude him from the word of the Lord, nor reject him from common intercourse; since neither did the Lord refuse to eat with publicans and sinners; and, when he was accused by the Pharisees on this account, he said, They that are well have no need of a physician , but they that are sick. Converse and dwell, therefore, with those who are separated from you for their sins, and take care of them, comforting them, and confirming them, and saying, Be strengthened, ye weak hands and feeble knees. For ye ought to comfort those that mourn, and afford encouragement to the faint-hearted, lest by immoderate sorrow they degenerate into distraction; since he that is faint-hearted is exceedingly distracted.
Chapter XLI – How we ought to receive the penitent, and how to bear with them that sin, and when to cut them off from the church
But if anyone return, and show forth the fruit of repentance, then Deceive him to prayer, as the lost son, the prodigal, who had consumed his father’s substance with harlots; who fed swine, and desired to be fed with husks, and could not obtain them. When this son repented, and returned to his father, and said, I have sinned against Heaven and before thee, and am no more worthy to be called thy son; the father, full of affection to his child, received him with music, and restored to him his former robe, and ring, and shoes, and slew the fatted calf, and made merry with his friends.
Do thou, therefore, Bishop, act in the same manner; and as thou receivest a heathen, after thou hast instructed and baptized him, so do thou let all join in prayers for this man, and restore him by imposition of hands to his ancient place among the flock, as one purified by repentance. And that imposition of hands shall be to him instead of baptism. For, by the laying on of our hands, the Holy Ghost was given to believers. And, in case someone of those brethren who had stood immovable accuse thee because thou art reconciled to him, say to him, Thou art always with me, and all that I have is thine. It was meet to make merry and be glad; for this thy brother was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.
For that God doth not only receive the penitent, but restoreth them to their former dignity, holy David is a sufficient witness; who, after his sin in the matter of Uriah, prayed to God, and said, Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation, and uphold me with thy free spirit. And again, Turn thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine offences. Create in me a clean heart, God, and renew a right spirit in mine inward parts. Cast me not away from thy presence, and take not thy holy spirit from me.
As a compassionate physician, therefore, do thou heal all that sin, making use of saving methods of cure; not only cutting and searing, or using corrosives, but binding up, and dressing with lint, and using gentle healing medicines, and sprinkling comfortable words. If it be a hollow wound or great gash, nourish it with a suitable plaster, that it may be filled up, and become even with the rest of the whole flesh. If it be foul, cleanse it with corrosive powder, that is, with the words of reproof. If it have proud flesh, cut it down with a sharp plaster, the threats of judgment. If it spread farther, sear it, and cut off the putrid flesh, subduing it with fastings. But if, after all that thou hast done, thou perceivest that from the feet to the head there is no room for a fomentation, or oil, or bandage, but that the malady spreadeth, and preventeth all cure, as a gangrene, which corrupteth the entire member; then, with a great deal of consideration, and the advice of other skilful physicians, cut off the putrified member, that the whole body of the church be not corrupted. Be not therefore ready and hasty to cut off, nor do thou easily have recourse to the saw, with its many teeth; but first use a lancet to lay open the wound, that the inward cause, whence the pain is derived, being drawn out, may keep the body free from pain. But if thou seest anyone past repentance, and he hath become insensible, then, with sorrow and lamentation, cut off from the church the incurable. For, Put away from among yourselves that wicked person. And, Ye shall make the children of Israel circumspect. And, again, Thou shalt not accept the persons of the rich in judgment. And, Thou shalt not pity a poor man in his cause; for the judgment is the Lord’s.
Chapter XLII – That a Judge must not be a respecter of persons
But if the slanderous accusation be false, and ye that are the pastors, with the deacons, admit that falsehood for truth, either by acceptance of persons or by receiving bribes, as willing to do that which will be pleasing to the devil; and so ye thrust out him that is accused, but is clear of the crime; ye shall give an account in the day of the Lord. For it is written, The innocent and the righteous thou shalt not slay. Thou shalt not take gifts to smite the soul; for gifts blind the eyes of the wise , and destroy the words of the righteous. And, again, They that justify the wicked for gifts , and take away the righteousness of the righteous from him.
Take care, therefore, lest by any means ye become accepters of persons, and thereby fall under this voice of the Lord. Be careful therefore not to condemn any unjustly, and so to assist the wicked. For, Woe to him that calleth evil good, and good evil, bitter sweet, and sweet bitter; that putteth light for darkness, and darkness for light. For if ye condemn others unjustly, ye pass sentence against yourselves. For the Lord saith, With what judgement ye judge, ye shall be judged; and as ye condemn, ye shall be condemned.
If, therefore, ye judge without respect of persons, ye will discover that accuser who beareth false witness against his neighbor, and will prove him to be a sycophant, a spiteful person, and a murderer, causing perplexity (by accusing the man as if he were wicked) , inconstant in his words, contradicting himself in what he affirmeth, and entangled with the words of his own mouth. For his own lips are a dangerous snare to him. Whom, when thou hast convicted him of speaking falsely, thou shalt judge severely, and shalt deliver him to the fiery sword, and thou shalt do to him as he wickedly purposed to do to his brother. For, as much as in him lay, he slew his brother, by forestalling the ears of the judge. Now, it is written, that He that sheddeth man’s blood, for that his own blood shall be shed. And, Thou shalt take away from thee that innocent blood which was shed without cause.
Chapter XLIII – How false accusers are to be punished
Thou shalt, therefore, cast him out of the congregation as a murderer of his brother. Sometime afterwards, if he say that he repenteth, mortify him with fastings; and afterwards ye shall lay your hands upon him, and receive him; but still securing him, that he do not disturb anyone a second time. But if, when he is admitted again, he be alike troublesome, and will not cease to disturb, and to quarrel with his brother, spying faults out of a contentious spirit, cast him out as a pernicious person, that he may not lay waste the church of God. For such a one is a raiser of disturbances in cities; for he, though he be within, doth not become the church, but is a superfluous and vain member, casting a blot, as far as in him lieth, on the body of Christ. For if such men as are born with superfluous members of their body, which hang to them, as fingers, or excrescences of flesh, cut them away from themselves on account of their unseemliness, and nothing that is unseemly cometh any more, the man recovering his natural good shape by means of the surgeon; how much more ought ye, the pastors of the church (for the church is a perfect body and sound members, such as believe God, in the fear of the Lord and in love), to do the like, when there is found in it a superfluous member, with wicked designs, and render ing the rest of the body unseemly, and disturbing it with sedition, and war, and evil speaking; causing fears, disturbances, blots, calumnies, accusations, disorders, and doing the like works of the devil, as if he were ordained by the devil to cast reproach on the church by slanders, and much disorder, and strife, and division!
Such a one, therefore, when he is a second time cast out of the church, is justly cut off entirely from the congregation of the Lord. And now the church will be more beautiful than it was before, when it had a superfluous, and, to itself, a disagreeable member. Wherefore, henceforward it will be free from blame and reproach, and become clear of such wicked, deceitful, abusive, unmerciful, traitorous persons, of such as are haters of those that are good, lovers of pleasure, affecters of vain glory, deceivers, and pretenders to wisdom, such as make it their business to scatter, or rather utterly to disperse, the lambs of the Lord.
Do thou, therefore, Bishop, together with thy subordinate clergy, endeavor rightly to divide the word of truth. For the Lord saith, If ye walk cross-grained to me, I will walk cross-grained to you. And elsewhere, With the holy thou wilt be holy, and with the perfect man thou wilt be perfect, and with the reward thou wilt be rewarded. Proceed, therefore, in a holy manner, that ye may rather appear worthy of praise from the Lord, than, on the contrary, of reproach.
Chapter XLIV – That the Deacon is to ease the burden of the Bishops, and to order the smaller matters himself
Being, therefore, unanimous among yourselves, ye Bishops, be at peace with one another; be sympathetic, and be filled with brotherly love. Feed the people with care; teach, with one consent, those that are under you to be of the same sentiments, and to be of the same opinions, about the same matters, that there may be no schisms among you, that ye may be one body, and one spirit, perfectly joined together in the same mind, and in the same judgment, according to the appointment of the Lord.
And let the Deacon refer all things to the Bishop, as Christ doth to his Father. But let him order such things as he is able by himself, receiving power from the Bishop, as the Lord did from his Father the power of creation and providence. But the weighty matters let the Bishop judge. But let the Deacon be the Bishop’s ear, and eye, and mouth, and heart, and soul, that the Bishop may not be distracted with many cares, but with such only as are more considerable; as Jethro appointed for Moses, and his counsel was received.
Chapter XLV – That contentions and quarrels are unbecoming Christians
It is indeed a beautiful encomium for a Christian to have no contest with anyone. But if, by any management or temptation, a contest arise with anyone, let him endeavor that it may be composed, though thereby he be obliged to lose somewhat; and let it not come before a heathen tribunal. Still further, ye are not to permit that the rulers of this world pass sentence against your people. For by them the devil contriveth mischief to the servants of God, and causeth a reproach to be cast upon us, as though we had not one wise man that is able to judge between his brethren, or to decide their controversies.
Chapter XLVI – That believers ought not to go to law before unbelievers; nor ought any unbeliever to be called for a witness against believers
Let not the heathen, therefore, know of your differences with one another, nor receive ye unbelievers as witnesses against yourselves, nor be judged by them; nor owe them anything on account of imposts or taxes; but, Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and unto God the things that are God’s, as taxes or tribute, or what was levied on every Jew; as our Lord, by giving a piece of money, was freed from disturbance. Choose, therefore, rather to suffer harm, and to endeavor after those things that make for peace, not only among the brethren, but also among the unbelievers. For, by suffering loss in the affairs of this life, thou wilt be sure not to suffer in the concerns of piety, and wilt live religiously, and according to the command of Christ. But if brethren have lawsuits one with another, which God forbid, ye who are the rulers ought thence to learn that such as these perform the work, not of brethren in the Lord, but rather of public enemies; and one of the parties will be found to be mild, gentle, and the child of light; but the other, unmerciful, insolent, and covetous.
He, therefore, who is condemned, let him be punished, let him be separated, let him undergo the punishment of his hatred to his brother. Afterward, when he repenteth, let him be received; and so, when they have learned prudence, they will ease your judicatures. It is also a duty to forgive each other’s trespasses; not the duty of those that judge, but of those that have quarrels; as the Lord determined when I, Peter, asked him, How oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Till seven times? He replied, I say not unto thee, until seven times, but until seventy times seven. For so would our Lord have us to be truly his disciples, and never to have anything against anyone; as, for instance, anger without measure, passion without mercy, covetousness without justice, or hatred without reconciliation. By your instruction draw those who are angry to friendship, and those who are at variance to agreement. For the Lord saith, Blessed are the peace-makers, for they shall be called the children of God.
Chapter XLYII – That the judicatures of Christians ought to be held on the second day of the week
Let your judicatures be held on the second day of the week, that, if any controversy arise about your sentence, having an interval till the Sabbath, ye may be able to set the controversy right, and to bring the contending parties to peace, against the Lord’s day.
Let also the deacons and presbyters be present at your judicatures, to judge without acceptance of persons, as men of God, with righteousness. When, therefore, both the parties are come, according as the Law saith, they shall both stand in the middle of the court; and when ye have heard them, give your votes religiously, endeavoring to make them both friends before the sentence of the Bishop, that judgment against the offender may not go abroad into the world; knowing that he (the Bishop) hath in the court the Christ of God, observing and approving his judgment. But if any persons are accused by anyone, and their fame suffereth, as if they did not walk uprightly in the Lord; in like manner, ye shall hear both parties, the accuser and the accused, but not with prejudice, nor with hearkening to one party only, but with righteousness, as passing a sentence concerning eternal life or death. For, saith God, He shall prosecute that which is right justly. For he that is justly punished and separated by you is rejected from eternal life and glory. He becometh dishonorable among holy men, and one condemned of God.
Chapter XLVIII – That the same punishment is not to be inflicted forevery offence, but different punishments for different offenders
Do not pass the same sentence forevery sin, but one suitable to each crime, distinguishing, with much prudence, all the several sorts of offences, the small and the great. Treat a wicked action after one manner, and a wicked word after another, and a base intention still otherwise. So also in the case of a contumely or a suspicion. And some thou shalt curb by threatenings alone; some thou shalt punish by fines to the poor; some thou shalt mortify with fastings; and others thou shalt separate, according to the greatness of their several crimes. For the Law did not allot the same punishment to every offence, but had a different regard to a sin against God, against the priest, against the temple, or against the sacrifice, from a sin against the king or ruler, or a soldier, or a fellow-subject; and so were the offences different which were against a servant, or a possession, or an irrational creature. And again, sins were differently rated, according as they were against parents and kinsmen, and those differently which were done on purpose, from those that happened involuntarily. Accordingly the punishments were different; as death, either by crucifixion or by stoning; fines, scourgings, or the suffering of the same mischiefs which the criminal had done to others.
Wherefore do ye also allot different penalties to different offences, lest any injustice should happen, and provoke God to indignation. For of what unjust judgment soever ye are the instruments, of the same ye shall receive the reward from God. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged.
Chapter XLIX – What are to be the characters of accusers and witnesses
When, therefore, ye are seated in your tribunal, and the parties are both of them present (for we will not call them brethren, until they receive each other in peace), examine diligently concerning those who appear before you; and first concerning the accuser, whether this be the first person he hath accused, or whether he hath advanced accusations against some others before; and whether this contest and accusation do not arise from some quarrel of the parties; and what is the general conduct of the accuser. Yet, though he be of a good conscience, do not give credit to him alone; for that is contrary to the Law. But let him have others to join in his testimony, and those of the same course of life. As the Law saith, At the, mouth of two or three witnesses everything shall be established.
But why did we say that the life of the witnesses was to be inquired after, of what sort it is? Because it frequently happeneth that two and more testify for mischief, and with joint consent prefer a lie, as did the two elders against Susanna, in Babylon, and sons as transgressors against Naboth, in Samaria, and the multitude of the Jews against our Lord, at Jerusalem, and against Stephen, his first martyr. Let the witnesses, therefore, be meek, free from anger, full of equity, kind, prudent, continent, free from wickedness, faithful, religious; for the testimony of such persons is firm on account of their character, and true on account of their deportment. But as to those of a different character, receive not their testimony, although they seem to agree together in their evidence against the accused. For it is ordained in the Law, Thou shalt not be with a multitude for wickedness. Thou shalt not receive a vain report. Thou shalt not consent with a multitude to pervert judgment.
Ye ought also particularly to know him that is accused, what he is in his course of life and in his deportment, whether he hath a good report as to his life, whether he hath been unblamable, whether he hath been zealous in holiness, whether he is a lover of the widows, a lover of the strangers, a lover of the poor, and a lover of the brethren; whether he is not given to filthy lucre; whether he is not an extravagant person, or a spendthrift; whether he is sober, and free from luxury, or a drunkard, or a glutton; whether he is compassionate and liberal.
Chapter L – That former offences sometimes render subsequent ones credible
For if he hath been before addicted to wicked works, the accusations which are now brought against him will thence, in some measure, appear to be true, unless justice do plainly plead for him. For it may be, that, though he had formerly been an offender, yet that he may not be guilty of this crime of which he is accused. Wherefore, be thoroughly cautious about such circumstances, and so render your sentences, when pronounced against an offender convicted, safe and firm. And if, after his separation, he beg pardon, and fall down before the Bishop, and acknowledge his fault, receive him. But suffer not a false accuser to go unpunished, lest he either calumniate another who liveth virtuously, or encourage some other person to do like himself. On the other hand, indeed, suffer not a person convicted to go off clear, lest another be ensnared in the same crimes. For neither shall a witness of mischiefs be unpunished, nor shall he that offendeth be without censure.
Chapter LI – Against judging without hearing both sides
We said before that judgment ought not to be given upon hearing only one of the parties. For if ye hear one of them when the other is not present, and so cannot make his defence to the accusation brought against him, and rashly give your notes for condemnation, ye will be found guilty of that man’s destruction, and partakers with the false accuser before God, the just Judge. For, As he that holdeth the tail of a dog, so is he that presideth at unjust judgment.
But if ye become imitators of the elders in Babylon, who, when they had borne witness against Susanna, unjustly condemned her to death, ye will become obnoxious to their judgment and condemnation. For the Lord, by Daniel, delivered Susanna from the hand of the ungodly, but condemned to the fire those elders who were guilty of her blood; and he reproacheth you by him, saying, Are ye so foolish, ye children of Israel? Without examination, and without knowing the truth, ye have condemned a daughter of Israel. Return again to the place of judgment; for these men have borne false witness against her.
Chapter LII – The caution observed at heathen tribunals before the condemnation of criminals, affordeth Christians a good example
Consider even the judicatures of this world, by whose power we see murderers, adulterers, wizards, robbers of sepulchres, and thieves, brought to trial; for those that preside, when they have received their accusations from those that brought them, ask the malefactor whether those things are so. And though he acknowledge the crime, they do not presently send him out to punishment, but for several days they make inquiry concerning him, with a full council, and with the veil interposed. And he that is to pass the final decree and suffrage of death against him, lifteth up his hands to the sun, and solemnly amrmeth that he is innocent of the blood of the man. Though they are heathens, and know not the Deity, nor the vengeance which will fall upon men from God, on account of those that are unjustly condemned, yet they avoid such unjust judgments.
Chapter LIII – That Christians ought not to have contentions one with another
But ye who know who our God is, and what are his judgments, how can ye bear to pass an unjust judgment, since your sentence will be immediately known to God? And if ye have judged righteously, ye will be deemed worthy of the recompenses of righteousness, both now and hereafter; but, if unrighteously, ye will partake of the like. We therefore advise you, brethren, rather to deserve commendation from God than rebukes; for the commendation of God is eternal life to men, as is his rebuke everlasting death.
Be ye, therefore, righteous judges, peace-makers, and without anger. For He that is angry without a cause is obnoxious to the judgment. But if it happen, that by anyone’s contrivance ye are angry at any body, Let not the sun go down upon your wrath. For, saith David, Be angry, and sin not; that is, be soon reconciled, lest your wrath continue so long that it turn to a settled hatred, and work sin. For the souls of those that bear a settled hatred are to death, saith Solomon. But our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ saith in the Gospels, If thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath aught against thee, leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift. Now the gift is every one’s eucharistical prayer and thanksgiving. If, therefore, thou hast anything against thy brother, or he hath anything against thee, neither will thy prayers be heard, nor will thy thanksgivings be accepted, by reason of that hidden anger. But it is your duty, brethren, to pray continually; yet, because God heareth not those who are at enmity with their brethren by unjust quarrels, even though they should pray three times an hour, it is our duty to compose all our enmity and bitterness of soul, that we may be able to pray with a pure and unpolluted heart. For the Lord commanded us to love even our enemies, and by no means to hate our friends. And the lawgiver saith, Thou shalt not hate tliy brother in thy mind. Thou shalt certainly reprove thy brother, and not incur sin on his account. Thou shalt not hate an Egyptian, for thou wast a sojourner with him. Thou shalt not hate an Idumaean, for he is thy brother. And David saith, If I have repaid those that requited me evil.
Wherefore, if thou wilt be a Christian, follow the Law of the Lord: Loose every band of wickedness. For the Lord hath given thee authority to remit to thy brother those sins which he hath committed against thee, as far as seventy times seven, that is, four hundred and ninety times. How often, therefore, hast thou remitted to thy brother, that thou art unwilling to do it now? when thou hast heard Jeremiah saying, Do not any of you impute the wickedness of his neighbor in your hearts. But thou rememberest injuries, and keepest enmity, and comest into judgment, and art suspicious of his anger, and thy prayer is hindered.
Nay, if thou hast remitted to thy brother four hundred and ninety times, do thou still multiply thine acts of gentleness more to do good for thine own sake. Although he may not do so, yet do thou endeavor to forgive thy brother for God’s sake, that thou mayest be the son of thy Father who is in heaven; and, when thou prayest, mayest be heard of God.
Chapter LIV – That the Bishops must by their Deacon put the people in mind of the obligation they are under to live peaceably together
Wherefore, Bishops, when ye are to go to prayer, after the lessons, and the psalmody, and the instruction out of the Scriptures, let the Deacon stand nigh you, and with a loud voice say, Let no one have any quarrel against another; let no one come in hypocrisy; that, if there be any controversy found among any of you, they may be affected in conscience, and may pray to God, and be reconciled to their brethren.
For if, upon coming into anyone’s house, we are to say, Peace be to this house, like sons of peace bestowing peace on those who are worthy, as it is written, To them that are nigh, and to them that are far off, whom the Lord knoweth to be his; much more is it incumbent on those that enter into the church of God before all things to pray for the peace of God. But if one pray for it upon others, much more let himself be within the same, as a child of light; for he that hath it not within himself is not fit to bestow it upon others. On which account, before all things, it is our duty to be at peace in our own minds; for he that doth not find any disorder in himself, will not quarrel with another, but will be peaceable, friendly, gathering the Lord’s people, and a fellow-worker with him, in order to increase the number of those that shall be saved in unanimity. For those who contrive enmities, and strifes, and contests, and lawsuits, are wicked, and aliens from God.
Chapter LV – An enumeration of several instances of Divine Providence, and how, in every age from the beginning, God hath invited all men to repentance
For God, being a God of mercy from the beginning, called every generation to repentance, by righteous men and prophets. He instructed those before the flood by Abel, and Shem, and Seth; also by Enos, and by Enoch, that was translated; those at the flood, by Noah; the inhabitants of Sodom, by hospitable Lot; those after the flood, by Melchisedek, and the patriarchs, and Job, the beloved of God; the Egyptians, by Moses; the Israelites, by him, and Joshua, and Caleb, and Phineas, and the rest; those after the Law, by angels and prophets; and the same, by his own incarnation proceeding from the Holy Spirit and from the Virgin; those a little before his bodily appearance, by John, his forerunner; and the same, by the same person after Christ’s birth, saying, Repent ye, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand; those after his passion, by us the twelve apostles, and Paul, the chosen vessel.
We, therefore, who have been accounted worthy of being the witnesses of his appearance, together with James, the brother of our Lord, and the seventy-two disciples, and his seven deacons, have heard from the mouth of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by exact knowledge declare what is the will of God, that good, and accept able, and perfect will, which is made known to us by Jesus; that none should perish, but that all men, with one accord, should believe in him, and send up to him harmonious praise, and thus have ever lasting life.
Chapter LVI – That it is the will of God that men should be of one mind in matters of religion, like the heavenly powers
For this is that which our Lord taught us, when we pray, to say to his Father, Thy will be done, as in heaven, so upon earth; that as the heavenly natures of the incorporeal powers do all glorify God with one consent, so also upon earth, all men, with one mouth and one purpose, may glorify the only, the one and true God, by Christ, his only-begotten.
It is therefore his will that men should praise him with unanimity, and adore him with one consent. For this is his will in Christ, that those who are saved by him may be many; but that ye do not occasion any loss or diminution to him, nor to the church, nor lessen the number by one soul of man, as destroyed by you, which might have been saved by repentance; and which, therefore, perisheth not only by its own sin, but also by your treachery, whereby ye fulfil that which is written, He that gathereth not with me scattereth.
Such a one is a disperser of the sheep, an adversary, an enemy of God, a destroyer of those lambs whose shepherd was the Lord; and we were the collectors out of various nations and tongues, by much pains and danger, and perpetual labor, by watchings, by fastings, by lyings on the ground, by persecutions, by stripes, by imprisonments, that we might do the will of God, and fill the feast-chamber with guests to sit down at his table, that is, the holy catholic church, with joyful and chosen people, singing hymns and praises to God, who hath called them by us to life. And ye, as much as in you lieth, have dispersed them.
Moreover, do ye also of the laity be at peace with one another; endeavoring, like wise men, to increase the church, and to turn back, and tame, and restore those who seem wild. For this is the greatest reward by his promise from God, If thou fetch out the worthy and precious from the unworthy, thou shalt be as my mouth.
Chapter LVII – An exact description of a church, and the clergy; and what things particular everyone is to do in the solemn assemblies of the clergy and laity for religious worship
But be thou, Bishop, holy, unblamable, no striker, not soon angry, not cruel; but one that buildeth up, a converter, apt to teach, firm in enduring evil, of a gentle mind, meek, long-suffering, ready to exhort, ready to comfort, as a man of God.
When thou callest an assembly of the church, as one that is the commander of a great ship, appoint the assemblies to be made with all possible skill; charging the Deacons, as mariners, to prepare places for the brethren, as for passengers, with all due care and decorum.
And first, indeed, let the building be long, with its head to the east, with its vestries on both sides at the east end; and so it will be like a ship. In the middle let the Bishop’s throne be placed; and on each side of him let the Presbytery sit down; and let the Deacons stand near at hand, in close and small girt garments; for they are like the mariners and managers of the ship. Through the care of these, let the laity sit in the other part, with all quietness and good order; and let the women sit by themselves, keep ing silence. In the middle let the Reader stand upon some high place. Let him read the books of Moses, of Joshua the son of Nun, of the Judges, and of the Kings, and of the Chronicles, and those written after the return from the captivity; and besides these, the books of Job and of Solomon, and of the sixteen prophets. But when there have been two lessons severally read, let some other person sing the hymns of David, and let the people join at the conclusions of the verses. Afterwards, let our Acts be read, and the Epistles of Paul, our fellow-worker, which he sent to the churches under the guidance of the Holy Spirit; and afterwards let a Deacon or a Presbyter read the Gospels, both those which I, Matthew, and John have delivered to you, and those which Luke and Mark, the fellow-workers of Paul, received and left to you.
And while the Gospel is read, let all the presbyters and deacons, and all the people, stand up in great silence; for it is written, Be silent and hear, Israel. And again, But do Thou stand there and hear.
In the next place, let the Presbyters, one by one, not all together, exhort the people, and the Bishop in the last place, as being the commander.
Let the Porters stand at the entries of the men, and observe them. Let the Deaconesses also stand at those of the women, like ship-men. For the same description and pattern was both in the tabernacle of the testimony and in the temple of God. But if anyone be found sitting out of his place, let him be rebuked by the Deacon, as a messenger of the fore-ship, and be removed into the place proper for him. For the church is not only like a ship, but also like a sheep-fold; for as the shepherds place all the irrational animals distinctly, I mean goats and sheep, according to their kind and age; and still every one runneth together, like to his like; so is it to be in the church. Let the young persons sit by themselves, if there be a place for them; if not, let them stand up. But let those who are already stricken in years sit in order. As to the children that stand, let their fathers and mothers take them to themselves. Let the younger women also sit by themselves, if there be a place for them; but, if there be not, let them stand behind the women. Let those women who are married, and have children, be placed by themselves. But let the virgins, and the widows, and the elder women, stand first of all, or sit; and let the Deacon be the disposer of the places, that every one of those that come in may go to his proper place, and may not sit at the entrance. In like manner let the Deacon oversee the people, that no one may whisper, nor slumber, nor laugh, nor nod. For in the church all ought to stand wisely, and soberly, and attentively, having their attention fixed upon the word of the Lord.
After this, let all rise up with one consent, and, looking towards the east, after the catechumens and the penitents are gone out, pray to God eastward, who ascended up to the heaven of heavens to the east; remembering also the ancient situation of paradise in the east, whence the first man, when he had yielded to the persuasion of the serpent, and disobeyed the command of God, was expelled.
As to the Deacons, after the prayer is over, let some of them attend upon the oblation of the Eucharist, ministering to the Lord’s body. Let others of them watch the multitude, and keep them silent. But let that Deacon who is at the High Priest’s hand, say to the people, Let no one have any quarrel against another. Let no one come in hypocrisy. Then let the men give the men, and the women give the women, the Lord’s kiss. But let no one do it with deceit, as Judas betrayed the Lord with a kiss.
After this let the Deacon pray for the whole church, for the whole world, and the several parts of it, and the fruits of it; for the priests and the rulers, for the high priest and the king, and for universal peace. After this, let the High Priest pray for peace upon the people, and bless them in these words: The Lord bless thee, and keep thee; the Lord make his face to shine upon thee, and give thee peace. Let the Bishop pray for the people, and say, Save thy people, Lord, and bless thine inheritance, which thou hast obtained with the precious blood of thy Christ, and hast called a royal priesthood and a holy nation.
Then let the sacrifice follow, all the people standing, and praying silently; and, when the oblation hath been made, let every rank by itself partake of the Lord’s body and precious blood, in order, and approach with reverence and holy fear, as to the body of their King. Let the women approach with their heads covered, as is becoming the order of women. Moreover, let the door be watched, lest there come in any unbeliever, or one not yet initiated.
Chapter LVIII – Of commendatory letters in favor of strangers, lay persons, clergymen, and Bishops; and that those who come into the church assemblies are to be received without regard to their quality
If anyone, a brother or a sister, come in from another parish, bringing recommendatory letters, let the Deacon be the judge of that affair, inquiring whether they are of the faithful, and of the church; whether they are not denied by heresy; and, besides, whether the sister is a married woman or a widow. And when he is satisfied in these questions, that they are really of the faithful, and of the same sentiments in the things of the Lord, let him conduct every one to the place proper for him. And if a Presbyter come from another parish, let him be received to communion by the Presbyters; if a Deacon, by the Deacons; if a Bishop, let him sit with the Bishop, and be allowed the same honor with himself. And thou, Bishop, shalt desire him to speak to the people words of instruction; for the exhortation and admonition of strangers is very acceptable, and exceedingly profitable. For, as the Scripture saith, No prophet is accepted in his own country. Thou shalt also permit him to offer the Eucharist. But if, out of reverence to thee, and as a wise man, to preserve the honor belonging to thee, he will not offer, at least thou shalt compel him to give the blessing to the people.
But if, after the congregation are seated, any other person come upon you, of good fashion and character in the world, whether he be a stranger, or one of your own country, neither do thou, Bishop, if thou art speaking the word of God, or hearing him that singeth, or that readeth, accept persons so far as to leave the ministry of the word, that thou mayest appoint an upper place for him; but continue quiet, not interrupting thy discourse nor thine attention; but let the brethren receive him by the Deacons. And if there be not a place, let the Deacon, by speaking, but not in anger, cause some younger person to rise, and place the stranger there. And it is but reasonable that one who loveth the brethren should do so of his own accord: but, if he refuse, let him raise him up by force, and set him behind all; that the rest may be taught to give place to those who are more honorable. Nay, if a poor man, or one of a low family, or a stranger, come upon you, whether he be old or young, and there be no place, the Deacon shall find a place even for these, with all his heart; that, instead of accepting persons before men, his ministration may be well pleasing to God. The very same thing let the Deaconess do for those women that come, whether they be poor or rich.
Chapter LIX – That every Christian ought to frequent the church diligently, both morning and evening
When thou instructest the people, Bishop, command and exhort them to come constantly to church, morning and evening, every day, and by no means to forsake it on any account, but to assemble together continually; nor to diminish the church by withdrawing themselves, and causing the body of Christ to be without its members. For it is spoken not only concerning the priests, but let every one of the laity hearken to it, as concerning himself; considering that it is said by the Lord, He that is not with me is against me, and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad. Do not ye, therefore, scatter yourselves abroad, who are the members of Christ, by not assembling together; since, according to his promise, ye have Christ, your Head, present, and communicating to you. Be not careless of yourselves, nor deprive your Saviour of his own members, nor divide his body, nor disperse his members, nor prefer the occasions of this life to the Word of God; but assemble yourselves together every day, morning and evening, singing psalms, and praying in the Lord’s house, in the morning saying the sixty-second psalm, and in the evening the hundred and fortieth; but principally on the Sabbath-day, and on the day of our Lord’s resurrection, which is the Lord’s day, meet more diligently, sending up praise to God that made the universe by Jesus, and sent him to us, and condescended to let him suffer, and raised him from the dead. Otherwise what apology to God will he make, who doth not assemble on that day to hear the saving word concerning the resurrection? On which day we pray thrice, standing, in memory of him who arose in three days; and on which are the reading of the prophets, the preaching of the gospel, the oblation of the sacrifice, and the gift of the holy food.
Chapter LX – The vain zeal which the Heathen and the Jews show, in frequenting their temples and synagogues, is a proper example and motive to excite Christians to frequent the church
What, moreover, but an adversary to God can he be who taketh pains about temporary things night and day, but taketh no care of things eternal? Who taketh care of washings and temporary food every day, but doth not take care of interests that endure forever? How can such a one, even now, avoid hearing that word of the Lord, The Gentiles are justified more than you, as he saith by way of reproach to Jerusalem, Sodom is justified rather than thou. For if the Gentiles every day, when they arise from sleep, run to their idols to worship them, and first of all pray to them, before all their work and all their labors; and in their feasts and in their solemnities do not keep away, but attend upon them; and not only those at the place, but those living far distant, do the same; and in their public shows all come together, as into a synagogue; in the same manner, those who are vainly called Jews, resting from work after every period of six days, come together into their synagogue on the seventh day, never leaving nor neglecting either rest from labor or assembling together; while yet they are deprived of the efficacy of the word in their unbelief; nay, and of the force of that name Judah, by which they call themselves; for Judah is interpreted confession; but these, having un justly occasioned the suffering on the cross, do not confess to God, so as to be saved on their repentance; if, therefore, those who are not saved frequently assemble together for such purposes as do not profit them, what apology to the Lord God wilt thou make, who forsakest his church, not imitating so much as the heathen, but by thine absence growest slothful, or turnest apostate, or committest iniquity? To whom the Lord saith by Jeremiah, Ye have not kept mine ordinances; nay, ye have not walked according to the ordinances of the heathen, and ye have in a manner exceeded them. And again, Israel hath justified his soul more than treacherous Judah. And afterwards, Will the Gentiles change their gods, which are not gods? Wherefore pass over to the isles of Chittim, and behold, and send to Kedar, and observe diligently whether such, things have been done. For those nations have not changed their ordinances. But, saith he, my people have changed its glory for that which will not profit.
How, therefore, will anyone make his apology, who hath despised or absented himself from the church of God?
Chapter LXI – That we must not prefer the affairs of this life to those which concern the worship of God
But if anyone bring forward the pretence of his own work, and so is a despiser, offering pretences for his sins, let such a one know that the trades of the faithful are works by the by; but the worship of God is their great work. Follow, therefore, your trades, as by the by, for your maintenance, but make the worship of God your main business; as also our Lord said, Labor not for the meat which perisheth, but for that which endureth unto everlasting life. And, again, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.
Endeavor, therefore, never to forsake the church of God. But, if anyone neglect it, and go either into a polluted temple of the heathen, or into a synagogue of the Jews, or of the heretics, what apology will such a one make in the day of judgment, who hath forsaken the oracles of the living God, that are living and quickening, and able to deliver from eternal punishment, and hath gone into a house of demons, or into a synagogue of the murderers of Christ, or the congregation of the wicked? not hearkening to him that saith, I have hated the congregation of the wicked, and I will not enter with the ungodly. I have not sat with the assembly of vanity, nor will I sit with the ungodly. And again, Blessed is the man that hath not walked in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stood in the way of sinners, and hath not sat in the seat of the scornful; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in his law will he meditate day and night. But thou, forsaking the gathering together of the faithful, the church of God, and his laws, hast respect to those dens of thieves, calling those things holy which he hath called profane, and making those things unclean which he hath sanctified. And not only so, but thou already runnest after the pomps of the Gentiles, and hastenest to their theatres, being desirous to be reckoned one of those that enter into them, and to partake of unseemly, not to say abominable words; not hearkening to Jeremiah, who saith, Lord, I have not sat in their assemblies, for they are scorners; but I was afraid, because of thy hand; nor to Job, who speaketh in like manner, if I have gone at any time with the scornful; for I shall be weighed in a just balance. But why wilt thou be a partaker of the heathen oracles, which are nothing but dead men, declaring, by the inspiration of the devil, deadly things, and such as tend to subvert the faith, and to draw to polytheism those that attend to them?
Do ye, therefore, who attend to the laws of God, esteem those laws more honorable than the necessities of life, and pay a greater respect to them, and run together to the church of the Lord. which he hath purchased with the blood of Christ, the beloved, the first-born of every creature. For this church is the daughter of the Highest, which hath been in travail of you by the word of grace, and hath formed Christ in you; of whom ye are made partakers. and thereby become his holy and chosen members, not having spot or wrinkle, or any such thing; but as being holy and unspotted in the faith, ye are complete in him, after the image of God that created you.
Chapter LXII – That Christians must abstain from all the impious practices of the heathen
Take heed, therefore, not to join yourselves in your worship with those that perish, which is the assembly of the Gentiles, to your deceit and destruction. For there is no fellowship between God and the devil. For he that assemble th himself with those that savor the things of the devil, will be esteemed one of them, and will inherit a woe.
Avoid also unbecoming spectacles, I mean the theatres and the pomps of the heathen, their enchantments, observations of omens, soothsayings, purifications, divinations, observations of birds, their necromancies, and invocations. For it is written, There is no divination in Jacob, nor soothsaying in Israel. And again, Divination is iniquity. And elsewhere, Ye shall not be soothsayers, and follow observers of omens, nor diviners, nor dealers with familiar spirits. Ye shall not preserve alive wizards. Wherefore Jeremiah exhorteth, saying, Walk ye not according to the ways of the heathen, and be not afraid of the signs of heaven. So that it is the duty of a believer to avoid the assemblies of the impious heathen and Jews, and of the rest of the heretics, lest, by uniting ourselves to them, we bring snares upon our own souls; that we may not, by joining in their feasts, which are celebrated in honor of demons, be partakers with them in their impiety. Ye are also to avoid their public meetings, and those sports which are celebrated in them. For a believer ought not to go to any of those public meetings, unless to purchase a slave, and save a soul; and at the same time to buy such other things as suit our necessities.
Abstain, therefore, from all idolatrous pomp and display, the festival assembly, competitions, duels, and all shows belonging to demons.
Chapter LXIII – That no Christian who will not work must eat; as Peter and the rest of the apostles were fishermen; Paul and Aquila, tent-makers; and Jude, the son of James, a husbandman
Let the young persons of the church endeavor to minister diligently in all necessaries. Attend to your business with all becoming seriousness, that so ye may always have sufficient to support yourselves, and those that are needy, and not burden the church of God. For we ourselves, besides our attention to the word of the Gospel, do not neglect our inferior employments; for some of us are fishermen, some tent-makers, some husbandmen, that so we may never be idle. So saith Solomon somewhere, Go to the ant, thou sluggard, and consider her ways diligently, and become wiser than she. For she, having neither field, overseer, nor ruler , prepareth her food in the summer, and layeth up a great store in the harvest. Or else go to the bee, and learn how laborious she is, and her work how valuable it is, whose labors both kings and private men make use of for their health. She is desirable and glorious: though she be weak in strength, yet, by honoring wisdom, she is improved. How long wilt thou lie on thy bed, sluggard? When wilt thou awake out of thy sleep? Thou sleepest a while, thou liest down a while, thou slumberest a while, thou foldest thy hands on thy breast to sleep a while. Then poverty cometh on thee like an evil traveller, and want as a swift racer. But if thou be diligent, thy harvest shall come as a fountain; and want, as a bad man, shall fly from thee. And again, He that manageth his own land shall be filled with bread. And elsewhere he saith, The slothful hath folded his hands together, and hath eaten his own flesh. And afterwards, The sluggard hideth his hand; he will not be a Wasp to bring it to his mouth. And again, By slothfulness of the hands a fool will be brought low.
Labor, therefore, continually; for the lot of the slothful is not to be healed. But if anyone do not work, let him not eat among you. For the Lord our God hateth the slothful, and no one of those who worship him ought to be idle.
End of book II
BOOK III – Concerning Widows
Chapter I – That those who are chosen widows ought to be not under sixty years of age
Choose your widows not under sixty years of age, that in some measure the suspicion of a second marriage may be prevented by their age. But if ye admit one younger into the order of widows, and she cannot bear her widowhood in her youth, and marrieth, she will procure indecent reflections on the glory of the order of the widows, and shall give an account to God; not because she married a second time, but because she hath waxed wanton against Christ, and not kept her promise. Wherefore, such a promise ought not to be rashly made, but with great caution. For it is better for her not to vow, than to vow and not to pay. But if any younger woman, who hath lived only a little while with her husband, and hath lost him by death, or some other occasion, remain by herself, having the gift of widowhood, she will be found to be blessed, and to be like the widow of Serepta, belonging to Sidon, with whom the holy prophet of God, Elijah, was entertained as a guest. Such a one may also be compared to Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Aser, who departed not from the temple, but continued in supplications and prayers, night and day; who was fourscore years old, and had lived with a husband seven years from her virginity; who glorified the coming of Christ, and gave thanks to the Lord, and spake concerning him to all those who looked for redemption in Israel. Such a widow will have a good report, and will be honored, having both glory with men upon earth, and eternal praise with God in heaven.
Chapter II – That we must avoid the choice of younger widows, because of suspicion
But let not the younger widows be placed in the order of widows, lest, under pretence of inability to be continent in the flower of their age, they accede to a second marriage, and become embarrassed. But let them be assisted and supported, that so they may not, under pretence of being deserted, come to a second marriage, and so be ensnared in an unseemly embarrassment. For ye ought to know this, that once marrying according to the law, is righteous, as being according to the will of God; but second marriages, after the promise, are wicked; not on account of the marriage itself, but be cause of the falsehood. Third marriages are indications of incontinency. But such marriages as are beyond the third, are manifest fornication and unquestionable uncleanness. For God, in the creation, gave one woman to one man; for they two shall be one flesh.
But to the younger women let a second marriage be allowed, after the death of their first husband, lest they fall into the condemnation of the devil, and many snares, and foolish lusts, which are hurtful to souls, and which bring upon them punishment rather than rest.
Chapter III – Of what character the widows ought to be, and how they ought to be supported by the Bishop
But the true widows are those who have had only one husband, having a good report among the generality for good works; widows indeed, sober, chaste, faithful, pious, who have brought up their children well, and have entertained strangers unblamably; who are to be supported, as devoted to God.
Besides, do thou, Bishop, be mindful of the needy, both reaching out thy helping hand, and making provision for them, as the steward of God, distributing seasonably the oblations to every one of them, to the widows, the orphans, the friendless, and those who are tried with affliction.
Chapter IV – That we ought to be charitable to all sorts of persons in want
For what if some are neither widows nor widowers, but stand in need of assistance, either through poverty, or some disease, or the maintenance of a great number of children? It is thy duty to oversee all people, and to take care of them all. For they that bestow gifts do not immediately, and without the use of discretion, give them to the widows, but barely bring them in, calling them free-will offerings, that so thou, who knowest those that are in affliction, mayest, as a good steward, give them their portion of the gift.
For God knoweth the giver, though thou distributest it to those in want, when he is absent. And he hath the reward of well-doing, but thou the blessedness of a just distribution of it. But do thou tell them who was the giver, that they may pray for him by name. For it is our duty to do good to all men, not fondly preferring one or another, whoever they may be. For the Lord saith, Give to every one that asketh thee. It is evident that it is meant of every one that is really in want, whether he be friend or foe, whether he be a kinsman or a stranger, whether he be single or married.
For in all the Scripture the Lord giveth us exhortations in respect to the needy, saying, first by Isaiah, Deal thy bread to the hungry, and bring the poor who have no covering into thy house. If thou seest the naked, do thou cover him; and thou shalt not overlook those who are of thine own family and seed. And then by Daniel he saith to the potentate, Wherefore, king, let my connsel please thee, and purge thy sins by acts of mercy, and thine iniquities by bowels of compassion to the needy. And he saith by Solomon, By acts of mercy and of faith, iniquities are purged.
And he saith again by David, Blessed is he that hath regard to the poor and needy; the Lord shall deliver him in the evil day. And again, He hath dispersed abroad; he hath given to the needy; his righteousness remaineth forever. And Solomon saith, He that hath mercy on the poor lendeth to the Lord; according to his gift it shall be paid him again. And afterwards, He that stoppeth his ear, that he may not hear him that is in want, he also himself shall call, and there shall be none to hear him.
Chapter V – That the widows are to be very careful of their deportment
Let every widow be meek, quiet, gentle, sincere, free from anger; not talkative, not clamorous, not hasty of speech, not given to evil-speaking, not captious, not double-tongued, not a busy-body. If she see or hear anything that is not right, let her be as one that doth not see, and as one that doth not hear; and let the widow mind nothing but to pray for those that give, and for the whole church; and when she is asked anything by anyone, let her not easily answer, except questions concerning faith, and righteousness, and hope in God; remitting to the rulers those that desire to be instructed in the doctrines of godliness. Let her answer only so as may tend to subvert the error of polytheism, and demonstrate the doctrine concerning the monarchy of God. But of the remaining doctrines, let her not answer anything rashly, lest, by saying anything unlearnedly, she should cause the Word to be blasphemed.
For the Lord hath taught us, that the Word is like a grain of mustard seed, which is of a fiery nature; and, if anyone useth it unskilfully, he will find it bitter. For in the mystical points we ought not to be rash, but cautious. For the Lord exhorteth us, saying, Cast not your pearls before swine, lest they trample them with their feet, and turn again and rend you. For unbelievers, when they hear the doctrine concerning Christ not explained as it ought to be, but defectively, and especially that concerning his incarnation or his passion, will rather reject it with scorn, and laugh at it as false, than praise God for it. And so the aged women will be guilty of rashness, and of causing blasphemy, and will inherit a woe – For, saith he, Woe to him by whom my name is blasphemed among the gentiles.
Chapter VI – That women ought not to teach, because it is unseemly; and what women followed our Lord
We do not permit our women to teach in the church, but only to pray, and to hear those that teach. For our Master and Lord, Jesus Christ himself, when he sent us, the twelve, to make disciples of the people and of the nations, did nowhere send out women to preach, although he did not want such: for there were with us the mother of our Lord, and his sisters; also Mary Magdalen; and Mary, the mother of James; and Martha and Mary, the sisters of Lazarus; Salome, and certain others. For, had it been necessary for women to teach, he himself would have first commanded these also to instruct the people with us. For, if the head of the wife be the man, it is not reasonable that the rest of the body should govern the head.
Let the widow, therefore, own herself to be the altar of God, and let her sit in her house, and not enter into the houses of the faithful, under any pretence, to receive anything; for the altar of God never runneth about, but is fixed in one place. Let, therefore, the virgin and the widow be such as do not run about, or gad to the houses of those who are alien from the faith. For such as these are gadders and impudent; they do not make their feet to rest in one place, because they are not widows, but purses ready to receive, triflers, evil speakers, counsellors of strife, without shame, impudent; who, being such, are not worthy of him that called them. For they do not come to the common resting place of the congregation on the Lord’s day, as those that are watchful. But they either slumber, or trifle, or allure men, or beg, or ensnare others, bringing them to the evil one; not suffering them to be watchful in the Lord; but taking care that they go out as vain as they came in, because they do not hear the Word of the Lord either taught or read. For of such as these the prophet Isaiah saith, Hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand, and seeing ye shall see, and not perceive; for the heart of this people is waxen gross.
Chapter VII – What are the characters of widows, falsely so called
In the same manner, therefore, the ears of the hearts of such widows as these are stopped, so that they will not sit within in their cottages to speak to the Lord, but will run about with the design of getting, and, by their foolish prattling, fulfil the desires of the adversary. Such widows, therefore, are not affixed to the altar of Christ.
For there are some widows who esteem gain in their business; and. since they ask without shame, and receive without being satisfied, they render the generality more backward in giving. For when they ought to be content with their subsistence from the church, as having moderate desires; on the contrary, they run from the house of one of their neighbors to that of another, and disturb them, heaping up to themselves plenty of money, and lend at bitter usury; and are solicitous only about Mammon, whose bag is their god; who prefer eating and drinking before all virtue, saying, Let us eat and drink, for to-morrow we die; who esteem these things as if they were durable, and not transitory. For she that useth herself to nothing but talking of money, worshipped Mammon instead of God; that is, she is a servant to gain, but cannot be pleasing to God, nor resigned to his worship; not being able to intercede with him, because her mind and disposition run after money; for where the treasure is, there will the heart be also. For she is thinking in her mind whither she may go to receive, or that a certain woman, her friend, hath forgotten her, and she hath somewhat to say to her. She that thinketh of such things as these will no longer attend to her prayers, but to that thought which offereth itself; so that, although sometimes she may wish to pray for someone, she will not be heard, because she doth not offer her petition to the Lord with the whole heart.
But she that will attend to God will sit within, and mind the things of the Lord, day and night, offering her sincere petition with a mouth ready to utter the same without ceasing. As, therefore, Judith, most famous for her wisdom, and of a good report for her modesty, prayed to God night and day for Israel; so also the widow who is like her, will offer her intercession, without ceasing, for the church of God; and he will hear her, because her mind is fixed on this thing alone, and is disposed to be neither insatiable nor expensive; when her eye is pure, and her hearing clean, and her hands undefiled, and her feet quiet, and her mouth prepared for neither gluttony nor trifling, but speaking the things that are fit, and partaking of only such things as are necessary for her maintenance. So being grave, and giving no disturbance, she will be pleasing to God; and, as soon as she asketh anything, the gift will anticipate her; as he saith, While thou art speaking, I will say, Behold I am here. Let such a one also be free from the love of money, free from arrogance, not given to filthy lucre, not insatiable nor gluttonous; but continent, meek, giving nobody disturbance, pious, modest, sitting at home, singing, and praying, and reading, and watching, and fasting; speaking to God continually in songs and hymns. And let her take wool, and assist others, rather than herself be in need of anything; being mindful of that widow who is honored with the Lord’s testimony, who, coming into the temple, cast into the treasury two mites, which make a farthing. And Christ our Lord and Master, and Searcher of hearts, saw her, and said, Verily I say unto you, that this widow hath cast into the treasury more than they all. For all they have cast in of their abundance; but this woman of her penury hath cast in all the living that she had.
The widows, therefore, ought to be grave, obedient to their Bishops, and their Presbyters, and their Deacons, and besides these to the Deaconesses, with piety, reverence, and fear; not usurping authority, nor desiring to do anything beyond the constitution, without the consent of the Deacon; as suppose the going to anyone to eat or drink with him, or to receive anything from any body; but, if without direction she do anyone of these things, let her be punished with fasting, or else let her be separated on account of her rashness.
Chapter VIII – That a widow ought not to accept of alms from the unworthy; nor ought a Bishop , nor any other of the faithful
For how doth such a one know of what character the person is from whom she receiveth; or from what sort of ministration he supplieth her with food, whether it doth not arise from rapine, or some other ill course of life, while the widow is unmindful, that, if she receive in a way unworthy of God, she must give an account forevery one of these things. For neither will the priests at any time receive a free-will offering from such a one, as suppose from a rapacious person, or from a harlot. For it is written, Thou shalt not covet those things that are thy neighbor’s; and, Thou shalt not offer the hire of a harlot to the Lord God. From such as these no offerings ought to be accepted, nor indeed from those that are separated from the church.
Let the widows also be ready to obey the commands given them by their superiors, and let them do according to the appointment of the Bishop, being obedient to him as to God. For he that receiveth from one so deserving of blame, or from one excommunicated, and prayeth for him while he purposeth to go on in a wicked course, and while he is not willing at any time to repent, holdeth communion with him in prayer, and grieveth Christ, who rejecteth the unrighteous; and he confirmeth them by means of the unworthy gift, and is denied with them, not suffering them to come to repentance, so as to fall down before God with lamentation, and pray to him.
Chapter IX – That women ought not to baptize; because it is impious , and contrary to the doctrine of Christ
Now as to women’s baptizing, we let you know, that there is no small peril to those that undertake it. Therefore we do not advise you to do it; for it is dangerous, or, rather, wicked and impious. For if the man be the head of the woman, and he be originally ordained for the priesthood, it is not just to abrogate the order of the creation, and, leaving the ruler, to come to the subordinate body. For the woman is the body of the man, taken from his side, and subject to him, from whom also she was separated for the procreation of children. For the Scripture saith, He shall ride over thee. For the man is ruler of the woman, as being her head. But if in the foregoing Constitutions we have not permitted them to teach, how will anyone allow them, contrary to nature, to perform the office of a priest? For this is one of the ignorant practices of the Gentile atheism, to ordain women priests to the female deities; not one of the constitutions of Christ.
But, if baptism were to be administered by women, certainly our Lord would have been baptized by his own mother, and not by John; or, when he sent us to baptize, he would have sent along with us women also for this purpose. But now he hath nowhere, either by constitution or by writing, delivered to us any such thing; as knowing the order of nature and the decency of the action; as being the Creator of nature, and the Legislator of the constitution.
Chapter X – That a Layman ought not to perform a priestly work, baptism, or sacrifice, or laying on of hands, or blessing
Nor do we permit the laity to perform any of the offices belonging to the priesthood; as, for instance, neither the sacrifice, nor baptism, nor the laying on of hands, nor the blessing, whether the himself, but he that is called of God. For such sacred offices are conferred by the laying on of the hands of the Bishop. But a person to whom such an office is not committed, but who seizeth upon it for himself, shall undergo the punishment of Uzziah.
Chapter XI – That none but a Bishop or a Presbyter , none even of the inferior ranks of the clergy, are permitted to do the offices of the Priests; that ordination belongeth wholly to the Bishop, and to no other person
Nay farther, we do not permit to the rest of the clergy to baptize; as, for instance, either to Readers, or Singers, or Porters, or Ministers, but only to the Bishops and Presbyters; yet so that the Deacons are to minister to them therein. But those who venture upon it shall undergo the punishment of the companions of Corah. We do not permit Presbyters, but only Bishops, to ordain Deacons, or Deaconesses, or Readers, or Servants, or Singers, or Porters. For this is the ecclesiastical order and harmony.
Chapter XII – The rejection of all uncharitable actions
Now concerning envy, or passion, or evil speaking, or strife, or the love of contention, we have already said to you, that these are alien from a Christian, and chiefly in the case of widows. But because the devil, who worketh in men, is in his conduct cunning, and full of various devices, he goeth to those that are not truly widows, as formerly to Cain; for some say they are widows, but do not perform the injunctions agreeable to the widowhood; as neither did Cain discharge the duties due to a brother. For they do not consider that it is not the name of widowhood that will bring them to the kingdom of God, but true faith and holy works.
But if anyone possesseth the name of widowhood, but performeth the works of the adversary, her widowhood will not be imputed; but she will be thrust out of the kingdom, and delivered to eternal punishment. For we hear that some widows are jealous, envious, calumniators, cavilling at the comforts of others. Such widows as these are not the disciples of Christ, nor of his doctrine. For it becometh them, when one of their fellow-widows is clothed by anyone, or receiveth money, or food, or drink, or shoes, at the sight of the refreshment of their sister, to say
Chapter XIII – How the widows are to pray for those who supply their necessities
Thou art blessed, God, who hast refreshed my fellow-widow. Bless, Lord, and glorify him who hath bestowed these things upon her; and let his good work ascend in truth to thee; and remember him for good in the day of his visitation. And as for my Bishop, who hath so well performed his duty to thee, and hath ordered such a reasonable alms to be bestowed on my fellow-widow, in need of clothing, do thou increase his glory, and give him a crown of rejoicing in the day when thy visitation shall be revealed.
In the same manner, let the widow who hath received the favor join with the other in praying for him who bestowed it.
Chapter XIV – That she who hath been kind to the poor ought not to boast, and tell abroad her name, according to the constitution of the Lord
But if any woman hath done a kindness, let her, as a prudent person, conceal her own name, not sounding a trumpet before her, that her alms may be with God in secret, as the Lord saith, When thou doest thine alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth, that thine alms may be in secret. And let the widow pray for him that gave her the alms, whosoever he be, as she is the holy altar of Christ; and the Father, who seeth in secret, will reward openly him that did good.
But those widows who will not live according to the command of God, are solicitous and inquisitive what Deaconess it is that hath administered the charity, and what widows have received it. And when such a one hath learned those things, she murmureth at the Deaconess who distributed the charity, saying, Dost not thou see that I am in more distress and in greater want of thy charity? Why, therefore, hast thou preferred her before me? She saith these things foolishly, not understanding that this doth not depend on the will of man, but on the appointment of God. For if she is herself a witness that she was nearer, and proved herself in greater want and more in need of clothing, than the other, she ought to understand who it is that made this constitution, and to hold her peace, and not to murmur at the Deaconess who distributed the charity, but to enter into her own house, and to cast herself prostrate on her face, to make supplication to God that her sin may be forgiven her. For God commanded her who did the kindness not to proclaim it; and this widow murmured, because proclamation was not made, so that she might know, and run to receive; nay, did not only murmur, but also cursed her, forgetting him that said, He that blesseth thee is blessed, and he that curseth thee is cursed. But the Lord saith, When ye enter into a house, say, Peace be to this house; and if the son of peace be there, your peace shall rest upon it. But if it be not worthy, your peace shall return to you.
Chapter XV – That it doth not become us to revile our neighbors, because cursing is
contrary to Christianity
If, therefore, peace returneth upon those that sent it, nay, upon those that before had actually given it, because it did not find persons fit to receive it, much rather will a curse return upon the head of him that unjustly sent it, because he to whom it was sent was not worthy to receive it. For all those who abuse others without cause, curse themselves; as Solomon saith, As birds and sparrows fly away, so the curse causeless shall not come upon anyone. And again he saith, Those that bring reproaches are exceeding foolish. But as the bee, a creature as to its strength feeble, if she stingeth anyone, loseth her sting, and becometh a drone; in the same manner, ye also, whatsoever injustice I do to others, will bring it upon yourselves. He hath excavated and digged a pit; and he shall fall into the ditch that he hath made. And again, He that diggeth a pit for his neighbor shall fall into it. Let him, therefore, who would avoid a curse, not curse another. For what thou hatest should be done to thee, do not thou to another.
Wherefore admonish the widows that are feeble-minded, strengthen those of them that are weak, and praise such of them as walk in holiness. Let them rather bless, and not calumniate. Let them make peace, and not stir up contention. Nor let a Bishop, nor a Presbyter, nor a Deacon, nor anyone else of the sacerdotal catalogue, defile his tongue with calumny, lest he inherit a curse instead of a blessing. And let it also be the Bishop’s business and care, that no lay person utter a curse . For he ought to take care of the Clergy, of the Virgins, of the Widows, of the Laity.
For which reason, Bishop, do thou ordain thy fellow-workers, the laborers for life and for righteousness, such Deacons as are pleasing to God, such as thou provest to be worthy among all the people, and such as shall be ready for the necessities of their ministration. Ordain also a Deaconess, who is faithful and holy, for the ministrations to the women. For sometimes thou canst not send a Deacon, who is a man, to the women in certain houses, on account of the unbelievers. Thou shalt therefore send a woman, a Deaconess, on account of the imaginations of the bad.
And we stand in need of a woman, a Deaconess, for many occasions; and first in the baptism of women, the Deacon shall anoint their forehead with the holy oil, and after him the Deaconess shall anoint them. For there is no necessity that the women should be seen by the men; but only, in the laying on of hands, the Bishop shall anoint her head, as the priests and kings were formerly anointed, not because those who are now baptized are ordained priests, but as being Christians, or anointed, from Christ the Anointed; a royal priesthood and a holy nation; the church of God, the pillar and ground of the present light; who formerly were not a people, but now are beloved and chosen; upon whom is called his new name, as Isaiah the prophet testifieth, And they shall call the people by his new name, which the Lord shall name for them.
Chapter XVI – Concerning the divine Initiation of holy Baptism
Thou, therefore, Bishop, according to that type, shalt anoint the head of those that are to be baptized, whether they be men or women, with the holy oil, for a type of the spiritual baptism. Then, either thou, Bishop, or a Presbyter that is under thee, shall pronounce over them the sacred name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, and shall dip them in the water; and let a Deacon receive the man, and a Deaconess the woman, that so the conferring of this inviolable seal may be done with a becoming decency. And, after this, let the Bishop anoint those that are baptized with ointment.
Chapter XVII – What is the meaning of Baptism into Christ; and on what account everything therein is said and done
This baptism, therefore, is given into the death of Jesus. The water is instead of the burial; and the oil, instead of the Holy Ghost; the seal, instead of the cross; the ointment, the confirmation of the confession; the mention of the Father, as of the author and sender; the joint mention of the Holy Ghost, as of the witness; the descent into the water, the dying together with Christ; the ascent out of the water, the rising again with him. The Father is the God over all; Christ is the only-begotten God, the beloved Son, the Lord of glory; the Holy Ghost is the Comforter, who is sent by Christ, and is taught by him, and proclaimeth him.
Chapter XVIII – Of what character he ought to be who is Initiated
And let him who is to be baptized be free from all iniquity, one that is not disposed to sin; the friend of God, the enemy of the devil; the heir of God the Father, the fellow-heir of his Son; one that hath renounced Satan, and the demons, and Satan’s deceits; chaste, pure, holy, beloved of God, a son of God, praying as a son to his Father, and saying, as from the common congregation of the faithful, thus: Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come; thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever. Amen.
Chapter XIX – Of what character a Deacon ought to be
Let the Deacons be in all things unspotted, as the Bishop himself is to be, only more active; in number according to the largeness of the church, that they may minister to the infirm, as workmen that are not ashamed; and let the woman appointed be diligent in taking care of the women. Moreover, let both the Deacons and the Deaconesses be ready to carry messages, to travel about, to minister and serve; as spake Isaiah concerning the Lord, saying, To justify the righteous, who serveth many faithfully.
Let all, therefore, know their proper place, and perform their duty diligently with one consent, with one mind, as knowing the reward of their ministration. But let them not be ashamed to minister to those that are in want; as even our Lord Jesus Christ came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many. So therefore ought they also to do, and not to hesitate, if it should be needful to lay down their life for a brother. For our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ did not hesitate to lay down his life, as himself saith, for his friends. If, therefore, the Lord of heaven and earth underwent all his sufferings for us, how then do ye make a difficulty to minister to such as are in want; ye who ought to imitate him that under went for us servitude, and want, and stripes, and the cross? It is therefore a duty that we, too, serve the brethren, in imitation of Christ. For he saith, He that will be great among you, let him be your minister; and he that will be first among you, let him be your servant. For so did he really, and not in word only, fulfil the prediction of serving many faithfully. For when he had taken a towel, he girded himself. After that, he poureth water into a basin; and, as we were sitting at meat, he came and washed the feet of us all, and wiped them with the towel. By doing this he indicated to us the affectionateness of brotherly love, that we also might do the same to one another.
If, therefore, our Lord and Master so humbled himself, how can ye, the laborers of the truth and administrators of piety, be ashamed to do the same to such of the brethren as are weak and infirm? Minister, therefore, affectionately, not murmuring nor mutinying; for ye do not do it on account of man, but on account of God; and ye shall receive from him the reward of your ministry in the day of your visitation. Ye, therefore, who are Deacons, ought to visit all those who stand in need of being visited. And tell your Bishop of all those that are in affliction. For ye ought to be his soul and sensation; being active and attentive in all things to him, as to your Bishop, and father, and master.
Chapter XX – That a Bishop ought to be ordained by three or by two Bishops, but not by one; for that would be invalid
We command that a Bishop be ordained by three Bishops, or at least by two: but it is not lawful that he be set over you by one; for the testimony of two or three witnesses is more firm and secure.
But a Presbyter, and a Deacon, and the rest of the clergy, are to be ordained by one Bishop. Nor must either a Presbyter or a Deacon ordain from the laity into the clergy. But the Presbyter is only to teach, to offer, to baptize, and to bless the people; and the Deacon is to minister to the Bishop and to the Presbyters, that is, to do the office of a ministering Deacon, and not to meddle with the other offices.
END OF BOOK III
Chapter I – That a Bishop must be well instructed, and experienced in the Word
BUT concerning Bishops, we have heard from our Lord that a Pastor, who is to be ordained a Bishop for the churches in every parish, must be blameless, unreprovable, free from all kinds of wickedness common among men, and not under fifty years of age. For such a man, in good part, is past youthful irregularities, and the slanders of them that are without, as well as the reproaches which are sometimes cast upon many persons by certain false brethren, who do not consider the word of God in the Gospel, Whosoever shall speak an idle word, shall give account thereof to the Lord in the day of judgment. And again: By thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned. Let him, therefore, be well instructed and skilful in the Word, and of competent age.
But if, in a small parish, one advanced in years is not to be found, let some younger person, who hath a good report among his neighbors, and is esteemed by them worthy of the office of a Bishop; who, from his youth, hath carried himself with meekness and regularity, like a much older person; after examination and a general good report, be ordained in peace. For Solomon at twelve years of age was king of Israel, and Josiah at eight years of age reigned righteously; and in like manner Joash governed the people at seven years of age. Wherefore, although the person be young, let him be meek, gentle, and quiet. For the Lord God saith by Isaiah, Upon whom will I look but upon him who is humble and quiet, and always trembleth at my words? In like manner it is in the Gospel also, Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. Let him also be merciful; for it is said, Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. Let him also be one of a good conscience, purified from all evil, and wickedness, and unrighteousness. For it is said again, Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
Chapter II – What ought to be the character of a Bishop, and of the rest of the Clergy
Let him, therefore, be sober, prudent, decorous, firm, not easily perturbed, not given to wine, no striker, but gentle; not a brawler, not covetous; not a novice, lest, being puffed up with pride, he fall into condemnation, and the snare of the devil. Forevery one who exalteth himself shall be abased. A Bishop, moreover, ought to be a man who hath been the husband of one wife, who also herself hath had no other husband, ruling well his own house. In this manner let examination be made when he is to receive ordination, and to be placed in his bishopric, whether he be grave, faithful, decorous; whether he hath a grave and faithful wife, or hath formerly had such a one; whether he hath educated his children piously, and hath brought them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord; whether his domestics fear and reverence him, and are all obedient to him; for if those who are immediately about him for worldly concerns are seditious and disobedient, how will others, not of his family, when they are under his management, become obedient to him?
Chapter III – In what things a Bishop is to be examined before he is ordained
Let examination also be made, whether he be unblamable as to the concerns of this life. For it is written, Search diligently to ascertain whether he who is to be ordained for the priesthood, be free from blemish. On which account, let him also be void of anger; for Wisdom saith, Anger destroyeth even the prudent. Let him also be merciful, of a generous and loving temper; for our Lord saith, By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye love one another. Let him also be ready to give; a lover of the widow and stranger, ready to serve and minister; indefatigable, undaunted; and let him know who is the most worthy of his assistance.
Chapter IV – That charitable distributions are not to be made to every widow, but that sometimes a woman who hath a husband is to be preferred; and that no distributions are to be made to one who is given to gluttony, drunkenness, and idleness
For if there be a widow who is able to support herself, and another woman who is not a widow, but is needy by reason of sickness, or the bringing up of many children, or infirmity of her hands, let him stretch out his hand in charity rather to this latter. But if anyone be in want by gluttony, drunkenness, or idleness, he doth not deserve to be assisted, nor to be a member of the church of God. For the Scripture, speaking of such persons, saith, The slothful hideth his hand in his bosom, and is not able to bring it to his mouth. And again: The sluggard foldeth up his hands, and eateth his own flesh. Forevery drunkard and whoremonger shall come to poverty, and every drowsy person shall be clothed with tatters and rags. And in another passage, If thou give thine eyes to bowls and cups, thou shalt afterwards walk more naked than a pestle. For, certainly, idleness is the mother of famine.
Chapter V – That a Bishop must be no accepter of persons in judgment; that he must be gentle in his conversation, and temperate in his diet
A Bishop must be no accepter of persons. He must not fear any; nor basely flatter a rich man; nor forsake, nor domineer over, a poor man. For God saith to Moses, Thou shalt not accept the person of the rich, nor shalt thou pity a poor man in his cause; for the judgment is the Lord’s. And again: Thou shalt with exact justice follow that which is right. Let a Bishop be frugal, and contented with a little in his meat and drink, that he may be ever in a sober frame, and disposed to instruct and admonish the ignorant; and let him not be lavish in his expenses, nor a pamperer of himself, nor given to pleasure, nor fond of delicacies. Let him be patient and gentle in his admonitions, well instructed himself, pondering and diligently studying the Lord’s books, and reading them frequently, that so he may be able carefully to interpret the Scriptures, expounding the Gospel in correspondence with the Prophets and with the Law; and let the expositions from the Law and the Prophets correspond with the Gospel. For the Lord Jesus saith, Search the Scriptures, for they are they which testify of me. And again: For Moses wrote of me.
But above all, let him carefully distinguish between the original Law and the additional precepts, and show which are the laws for believers, and which the bonds for unbelievers; lest any should fall under those bonds. Be careful, therefore, Bishop, to study the word of God, that thou mayest be able to explain everything exactly, and that thou mayest copiously nourish thy people with much doctrine, and enlighten them with the light of the Law. For God saith, Enlighten yourselves with the light of knowledge, while there is yet opportunity.
Chapter VI – That a Bishop must not be given to filthy lucre, nor be a surety, nor an advocate
Let not a Bishop be given to filthy lucre, especially before the Gentiles; rather suffering than offering injuries; not covetous, nor rapacious; no purloiner, no admirer of the rich, nor hater of the poor; no evil speaker, nor false witness; not given to anger, no brawler; not entangled with the affairs of this life; not a surety for anyone, nor an accuser in suits about money; not ambitious, not double-minded, nor double-tongued; not ready to hearken to calumny or evil-speaking; not a dissembler, not addicted to the heathen festivals, not given to vain deceits, not eager after worldly things, nor a lover of money. For all these things are opposite to God, and pleasing to demons. Let the Bishop earnestly give all these precepts in charge to the laity also, persuading them to imitate his deportment. For the Scripture saith, Make ye the children of Israel pious. Let him be prudent, humble, apt to admonish with the instructions of the Lord, well-disposed, one who hath renounced all the wicked projects of this world, and all heathenish lusts. Let him be orderly, sharp in observing the wicked and taking heed of them, but yet a friend to all; just and discerning; and, whatsoever qualities are commendable among men, let the Bishop possess them in himself.
For if the Pastor be unblamable as to any wickedness, he will compel his disciples, and, by his manner of life, press them to become worthy imitators of his own actions; as the prophet somewhere saith, And it will be, As is the priest, so is the people. For our Lord and Master Jesus Christ, the Son of God, began first to do, and then to teach; as Luke somewhere saith: Which Jesus began to do and to teach. Wherefore he saith, Whosoever shall do and teach, he shall be called great in the kingdom of God. For it becometh you, Bishops, to be guides and watchmen to the people, as ye yourselves have Christ for your guide and watchman. Be ye, therefore, good guides and watchmen to the people of God.
For the Lord saith by Ezekiel, speaking to every one of you: I have given thee for a watchman to the house of Israel, and thou shall hear the word from my mouth, and shalt observe, and shalt declare it from me. When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die, if thou dost not speak to warn the wicked from his wickedness, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity, and his blood will I require at thy hand. But if thou warn the wicked from his way, that he may turn from it, and he do not turn from it, he shall die in his iniquity, and thou hast delivered thy soul. In the same manner, if the sword of war be approaching, and the people set a watchman to watch, and he see the same approach, and do not give warning, and the sword come and take one of them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood shall be required at the watchman’s hand, because he did not blow the trumpet. But if he blow the trumpet, and he who heareth it take not warning, and the sword come and take him away, his blood shall be upon himself, because he heard the trumpet, and took not warning. But he who hath taken warning hath delivered his soul; and the watchman, because he gave warning, shall surely live.
The sword here is the judgment; the trumpet is the holy Gospel; the watchman is the Bishop, who is set in the church, who is obliged in his preaching to testify and vehemently to forewarn concerning that judgment. If ye do not declare and testify this to the people, the sins of those who are ignorant of it will be found upon you. Wherefore, warn and reprove with boldness those who are perverse through want of instruction; teach the ignorant; confirm those that understand; bring back those that go astray. If we repeat the very same things on the same occasions, brethren, we shall not do amiss. For by frequent hearing it is to be hoped that some will be made ashamed, and at least do some good action, and avoid some wicked one. For saith God by the prophet, Testify those things to them; perhaps they will hear thy voice. And again: If perhaps they will hear, if perhaps they will submit.
Moses also saith to the people, If hearing thou wilt hear the Lord God, and do that which is good and right in his eyes. And again: Hear, Israel, the Lord thy God is one Lord. And our Lord is often recorded in the Gospel to have said, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear. And wise Solomon saith, My son, hear the instruction of thy father, and reject not the laws of thy mother. And, indeed, to this day men have not heard; for, while they seem to have heard, they have not heard aright; as appears by their having left the one and only true God, and their being drawn unto destruction and dangerous heresies, concerning which we shall speak again.
Chapter VII – What ought to be the character of the initiated
Be it known to you, beloved, that those who are baptized into the death of our Lord Christ, ought no longer to commit sin. For as those who are dead cannot practise wickedness any longer, so those who are dead with Christ cannot act in a sinful manner. It is incredible, therefore, brethren, that anyone who hath received the washing of life, perpetrateth the dissolute acts of transgressors. But he who sinneth after his baptism, unless he repent, and forsake his sins, will be condemned to hell.
Chapter VIII – Concerning a person falsely accused; or, on the other hand, a person convicted
If, now, anyone be maliciously prosecuted by the heathen, because he will not go along with them to the same excess of riot, let him know that such a one is blessed of God, as our Lord saith in the Gospel: Blessed are ye when men shall reproach you, or persecute you, or say all manner of evil against you falsely for my sake. Rejoice and be exceeding glad, for your reward is great in heaven. If, therefore, anyone be slandered and falsely accused, such a one is blessed; for the Scripture saith, A man that is a reprobate is not tried by God. But if anyone be convicted, having done a wicked action, such a one not only hurteth himself, but occasioneth the whole body of the church and its doctrine to be blasphemed; as if we Christians did not practise those things which we declare to be good and honest; and we ourselves shall be reproached by the Lord, that, They say, and do not. Wherefore the Bishop must boldly reject such as these on full conviction, unless they change their life.
Chapter IX – That a Bishop ought not to receive bribes
For the Bishop must not only himself give no offence, but must be no respecter of persons; in kindness admonishing those that sin. But if he himself hath not a good conscience, and is a respecter of persons and a receiver of bribes, he will spare the open offender, permitting him to continue in the church, and disregarding the voice of God and the Lord, which saith, Thou shalt execute right judgment. Thou shalt not accept persons in judgment. Thou shalt not justify the wicked. Thou shalt not receive gifts against anyone’s life; for gifts do blind the eyes of the wise, and pervert the words of the righteous. And elsewhere he saith, Put away from among yourselves that wicked person. And Solomon, in his Proverbs, saith, Cast out a pestilent fellow from the congregation, and strife will go out along with him.
Chapter X – That a Bishop who, by wrong judgment, spareth an offender, is himself guilty
But he who doth not consider these things, will, contrary to justice, spare him who deserveth punishment; as Saul spared Agag, and Eli his sons, who knew not the Lord. Such a one profaneth his own dignity, and that church of God which is in his parish. Such a one is esteemed unjust before God and good men, as affording occasion of scandal to many of the newly baptized and to the catechumens, as also to the youth of both sexes; and to him a woe belongeth, and a millstone about his neck, and drowning, on account of his guilt. For, observing what a person their ruler is, through his wickedness and neglect of justice, they will grow skeptical, and, indulging the same disease, will be compelled to perish with him; as was the case of the people joining with Jeroboam, and those who were in the conspiracy with Corah.
But if the offender see that the Bishop and Deacons are innocent and unblamable, and the flock pure, he will either not venture to despise their authority, and to enter into the church of God at all, as one smitten by his own conscience; or if he value nothing, and venture to enter in, either he will be convicted immediately, as Uzza at the ark, when he touched it to support it, and as Joshua, | Achan when he stole the accursed thing, and as Gehazi when he coveted the money of Naaman; and so will be immediately punished; or else he will be admonished by the Pastor, and drawn to repentance. For when he looketh round the whole church, one by one, and can spy no blemish, either in the Bishop, or in the people who are under his care, he will be put to confusion, and pricked at the heart, and in a peaceable manner will go his way, with shame and many tears; and the flock will remain pure. He will apply himself to God with tears, and will repent of his sins, and have hope. Nay, the whole flock, at the sight of his tears, will be instructed, because a sinner avoideth destruction by repentance.
Chapter XI – How a Bishop ought to judge offenders
On this account, therefore, Bishop, endeavor to be pure in thine actions, and to adorn thy place and dignity, as sustaining the character of God among men in ruling over all men, over priests, kings, rulers, fathers, children, masters, and in general over all those who are subject to thee; and so sit in the church, when thou speakest, as having authority to judge offenders. For to you, Bishops, is it said, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth, shall be bound in heaven; and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth, shall be loosed in heaven.
Chapter XII – An Instruction how a Bishop ought to behave himself to the penitent
Do thou, therefore, Bishop, judge with authority, like God; yet receive the penitent. For God is a God of mercy. Rebuke those that sin; admonish those that do not turn; exhort those that stand to persevere in the things that are commendable; receive the penitent; because the Lord God hath promised with an oath to afford remission to the penitent for what things they have done amiss. And he saith by Ezekiel, Speak unto them, as I live, saith the Lord, I would not the death of a sinner, but that the wicked turn from his evil way, and live. Tarn ye, therefore, from your evil ways; for why will ye die, house of Israel? Here the Word affordeth hope to sinners, that, if they repent, they shall have hope of salvation; lest, despairing, they yield themselves up to their transgressions; but, having hope of salvation, they may be converted, and come to God with tears on account of their sins: so shall they receive pardon from him, as from a merciful Father.
Chapter XIII – That we ought to beware how we make trial of any sinful course
Yet it is very necessary that those who are innocent should continue so, and not make an experiment what sin is; that they may not have occasion for trouble, sorrow, and those lamentations which are in order to forgiveness. For how dost thou know, man, when thou sinnest, whether thou shalt live any number of days in this present state, that thou mayest have time to repent? For the time of thy departure out of this world is uncertain; and if thou die in sin, there will remain no repentance for thee; as God saith by David, In the grave, who will confess to thee? It becometh us, therefore, to be ready in the doing of our duty, that so we may await our passage into another world without sorrow. Wherefore also the sacred Word, speaking to thee by the wise Solomon, exhorteth, Prepare thy works against thine exit, and provide all beforehand in the field; lest some of the things necessary to thy journey be wanting; as the oil of piety was deficient in the five foolish virgins mentioned in the Gospel, when they, on account of their having extinguished their lamps of divine knowledge, were shut out of the bride-chamber. Wherefore, he who valueth the security of his soul will take care to be out of danger, by keeping free from sin, that so he may preserve to himself the advantage of his former good works. Do thou, therefore, so judge as executing judgment for God. For, as the Scripture saith, The judgment is the Lord’s. In the first place, therefore, condemn the guilty person with authority; afterwards try to bring him home with mercy and compassion, and readiness to receive him, promising him salvation if he will change his course of life, and come to repentance; and when he is penitent, do thou with thoughtfulness and solemnity receive him, remembering the Lord, who hath said there is joy in heaven over one sinner that repenteth.
Chapter XIV – Concerning those who affirm that a penitent is not to be received into the church; and concerning a righteous person, though he converse with a sinner
But if thou refuse to receive him that is penitent, thou exposest him to those who lie in wait to destroy, forgetting what David saith, Deliver not my soul, which confesseth to thee, unto destroying beasts. Wherefore Jeremiah, when he is exhorting men to repentance, saith, Shall not he that falleth arise? Or he that turneth away, cannot he return? Wherefore have my people gone back by a shameless backsliding? And they are hardened in their purpose. Turn, ye backsliding children, and I will heal your backslidings. Receive, therefore, him that is penitent, without any doubting. Be not hindered by those who unmercifully say that we must not be found with such, nor so much as speak to them. For these counsels are from men that are unacquainted with God and his providence, and from unreasonable judges and inexorable beasts. They are ignorant that we ought to avoid society with offenders, not in discourse, but in actions. For the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him. And again, If a land sinneth against me by trespassing grievously, and I stretch out my hand upon it, and break the staff of bread upon it, and send famine upon it, and destroy man and beast therein; though these three men, Noah, Job, and Daniel, were in the midst of it, they shall only save their own souls by their righteousness, saith the Lord God.
The Scripture hath most clearly shown, that a righteous man that is with a wicked man doth not perish with him. For in the present world the righteous and the wicked are mingled together in the common affairs of life, but not in holy communion; and in this the friends of God are guilty of no sin. For they do but imitate their Father who is in heaven, who maketh his sun to rise on the righteous and on the unrighteous, and sendeth his rain on the evil and on the good; and the righteous man undergoeth no peril on this account. For they who conquer, and they who are conquered, are in the same place of running; but only they who have nobly contended are where the garland is bestowed. And, No one is crowned, unless he strive lawfully. Foreveryone shall give account of himself, and God will not destroy the righteous with the wicked; for with him it is a constant rule, that innocence is never punished. For neither did he drown Noah, nor burn up Lot, nor destroy Rahab for company. And if ye desire to know how this matter was among us, Judas was one of us, and participated with us in the ministry; and Simon the magician received the seal of the Lord; yet, both the one and the other proving wicked, the former hanged himself; and the latter, as he flew in the air in a manner unnatural, was dashed against the earth. Moreover, Noah and his sons with him were in the ark; but Ham, who alone was wicked, received punishment in his son. But if fathers are not punished for their children, nor children for their fathers, it is thence clear that neither will wives be punished for their husbands, nor servants for their masters, nor one relation for another, nor one friend for another, nor the righteous for the wicked. But everyone will be required an account of his own doing. For neither was punishment inflicted on Noah for the world; nor was Lot destroyed by fire for the Sodomites; nor was Rahab slain for the inhabitants of Jericho; nor Israel for the Egyptians. For not a person’s dwelling with the wicked, but his agreeing with them in disposition, condemneth him. We ought not, therefore, to hearken to those who call for death, and hate mankind, and love accusations; and, under fair pretences, bring men to death. For one man shall not die for another, but everyone is held with the chains of his own sins. And, Behold the man, and his work is before his face. Now, we ought to assist those who are with us, and are in danger, and fall; and, as far as lieth in our power, to bring them back to sobriety by our exhortations, and to save them from death. For they that are whole need not a physician, but they that are sick. Since it is not pleasing in the sight of your Father that one of these little ones should perish. For we ought not to establish the will of hard-hearted men, but the will of the God and Father of the universe, which is revealed to us by Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom be glory forever. Amen.
For it is not equitable that thou, Bishop, who art the head, shouldst submit to the tail; that is, to some seditious person among the laity unto the destruction of another, but to God alone. It is thy privilege to govern those under thee, but not to be governed by them. For neither doth a son, who is subject by the course of generation, govern his father; nor a servant, who is subject by law, govern his master; nor doth a scholar govern his teacher; nor a soldier, his king; nor any of the laity, his Bishop. For, that there is no reason to suppose such as converse with the wicked, in order to their instruction in the Word, to be denied by or to partake of their sins, Ezekiel, as it were on purpose, preventing the suspicions of ill-disposed persons, saith thus: Why do ye speak this proverb concerning the land of Israel? The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge. As I live, saith the Lord God, ye shall not henceforth have occasion to use this proverb in Israel. For all souls are mine; in like manner as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine. The soul that sinneth, it shall die. But the man who is righteous, and doeth judgment and justice (and so the prophet reckoneth up the rest of the virtues, and then addeth for a conclusion, such a one is just), he shall surely live, saith the Lord God. And if he beget a son who is a robber, a shedder of blood, and walketh not in the way of his righteous father (and when the prophet had added what followeth, he addeth in the conclusion), he shall certainly not live; he hath done all this wickedness; he shall surely die; his blood shall be upon him. Yet they will ask thee. Why? Doth not the son bear the iniquity of the father, or his righteousness, having exercised righteousness himself? And thou shalt say unto them, The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, and the father shall not bear the iniquity of the son. The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him; and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him. And a little after he saith, When the righteous turneth away from his righteousness and committeth iniquity, all his righteousness, by reason of all his wickedness which he hath committed, shall not be remembered. In his iniquity which he hath committed, and in his sin which he hath sinned, in them shall he die. And a little after he addeth, When the wicked turneth away from his wickedness which he hath committed, and doeth judgment and justice, he hath preserved his soul; he hath turned away from all his ungodliness which he hath done, he shall surely live, he shall not die. And afterwards, I will judge every one of you according to his ways, house of Israel, saith the Lord.
Chapter XV – That the Priest must neither overlook offences, nor be rash in punishing them
Observe, ye who are our beloved sons, how merciful, yet righteous, the Lord our God is; how gracious and kind to men; and yet, most certainly, He will not acquit the guilty; but he admitteth the returning sinner, and reviveth him, leaving no room for suspicion to such as would be savage in judging, and utterly reject offenders, and not vouchsafe them so much as any exhortations which might bring them to repentance. In contradiction to such, God. by Isaiah, saith to the Bishops, Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, ye Priests; speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem. It therefore behooveth you, upon hearing these words of his, to encourage those who have offended, and lead them to repentance, and afford them hope, and not vainly suppose that ye shall be partakers of their offences on account of love to such persons. Receive the penitent with alacrity, and rejoice over them, and with mercy and bowels of compassion judge the sinners.
For if a person was walking by the side of a river, and ready to stumble, and thou shouldst push him and thrust him into the river, instead of offering him thy hand for his assistance, thou wouldst be guilty of the murder of thy brother; whereas thou oughtest rather to lend thy helping hand, as he was ready to fall, lest he perish without remedy; that both the people may take warning, and the offender may not utterly perish. It is thy duty, Bishop, neither to overlook the sins of the people, nor to reject those who are penitent, that thou mayest not unskilfully destroy the Lord’s flock, nor dishonor his new name, which is put on his people, and thou thyself be reproached as those ancient Pastors were, of whom God speaketh thus to Jeremiah: Many shepherds have destroyed my vineyard; they have polluted my heritage; and in another passage, My anger is waxed hot against the shepherds, and against the lambs shall I have indignation; and elsewhere, Ye are the Priests that dishonor my name.
Chapter XVI – Of Penance, The manner of it, and rules about it
When thou seest the offender, with severity command him to be cast out; and, as he is going out, let the deacons also treat him with severity, and then let them go and seek for him, and detain him out of the church; and when they come in, let them entreat thee for him. For our Saviour himself entreated his Father for those who had sinned; as it is written in the Gospel, Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do. Then order the offender to come in; and if upon examination thou find that he is penitent, and fit to be received at all into the church, when thou hast afflicted him his days of fasting, according to the degree of his offence, as two, three, five, or seven weeks, so set him at liberty, and speak such things to him as are suitable to be said in way of reproof, instruction, and exhortation to a sinner for his reformation; that so he may continue privately in his humility, and pray to God to be merciful to him, saying, If thou, Lord, shouldst mark iniquities, Lord, who should stand? For with thee there is propitiation. Of this sort of declaration is that which is said in the book of Genesis to Cain: Thou hast sinned, be quiet; that is, do not go on in sin. For that a sinner ought to be ashamed for his own sin, that oracle of God delivered to Moses concerning Miriam is a sufficient proof, when he prayed that she might be forgiven. For saith God to him, If her father had spit in her face, should she not be ashamed? Let her be shut out of the camp seven days to do so with offenders, when they profess their repentance; namely, to separate them, some determinate time, according to the proportion of their offence; and afterwards, like fathers to children, receive them again upon their repentance.
Chapter XVII – That a Bishop must be unblamable, and a pattern for those who are under his charge
But if the Bishop himself be an offender, how will he be able any longer to prosecute the offence of another? Or how will he be able to reprove another, while either he or his deacons, by the accepting of persons or the receiving of bribes, have not a clear conscience? For when the ruler asketh, and the judge receiveth, judgment is not brought to perfection; but when both are companions of thieves, and regardless of doing justice to the widows, those who are under the Bishop will not be able to support and vindicate him. For they will say to him what is written in the Gospel, Why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?
Let the Bishop, therefore, with his deacons, dread to hear any such thing; that is, let him give no occasion for it. For an offender, when he seeth any other doing as bad as himself, will be encouraged to do the very same things; and then the wicked one, taking occasion from a single instance, worketh in others (which God forbid); and by that means the flock will be destroyed. For the more offenders there are, the greater is the mischief that is done by them. Sin which passeth without correction groweth worse and worse, and spreadeth to others; since a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump; and one thief spreadeth the wickedness over a whole nation; and dead flies spoil the whole pot of sweet ointment; and when a king hearkeneth to unrighteous counsel, all the servants under him are wicked. So one scabby sheep, if not separated from those that are whole, infecteth the rest with the same distemper; and a man infected with the plague is to be avoided by all men; and a mad dog is dangerous to everyone that he toucheth. If therefore we neglect to separate the transgressor from the church of God, we shall make the Lord’s house a den of thieves. For it is the Bishop’s duty not to be silent in the case of offenders, but to convince them, to admonish them, to press them down, to afflict them with fastings; that so he may strike a pious dread into the rest. For the Scripture saith, Make ye the children of Israel pious. The Bishop must be one who discourageth sin by his exhortations, and setteth a pattern of righteousness, and proclaimeth those good things which are prepared by God, and declareth that wrath which will come at the day of judgment; lest he contemn and neglect the plantation of God, and, on account of his carelessness, hear that which is said in Hosea: Why have ye held your peace at impiety, and have reaped the fruit thereof?
Chapter XVIII – That a Bishop must take care that his people do not sin, considering that he is a watchman
Let the Bishop, therefore, extend his concern to all; to those who have not offended, that they may continue innocent; and to those who have offended, that they may repent. For to you the Lord saith, Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones. It is your duty also to give remission to the penitent. For as soon as one who hath offended saith in the sincerity of his soul, I have sinned against the Lord, the Holy Spirit answereth, The Lord also hath forgiven thy sin; be of good cheer; thou shalt not die. Be sensible, therefore, Bishop, of the dignity of thy place; that, as thou hast received the power of binding, so hast thou also that of loosing. Having therefore the power of loosing, come forth and behave thyself in this life as becometh thy place, knowing that thou hast a great account to give. For to whom, as the Scripture saith, men have entrusted much, of him they will require the more. For no man is free from sin, excepting him who was made man for us; since it is written, No man is pure from filthiness, no, not though he be but a day old. On which account, the lives and conversations of the ancient holy men and patriarchs are described; not that we may reproach them from our reading, but that we ourselves may repent, and have hope that we also shall obtain forgiveness. For their blemishes are to us both security and admonition, because we hence learn, when we have offended, that if we repent, we shall have pardon; since it is written, Who can boast that he hath a clean heart, and who dareth affirm that he is pure from sin? No man, therefore, is without sin. Do thou therefore labor to the utmost of thy power to be unblamable; and be careful in respect to all, lest anyone be made to stumble on thine account, and thereby perish. For the layman is solicitous only for himself, but thou for all, as having a greater burden and carrying a heavier load. For it is written, And the Lord said unto Moses, Thou and Aaron shall bear the sins of the priesthood.
Since, therefore, thou art to give an account of all, take care of all. Preserve those that are sound; admonish those that sin; and when thou hast afflicted them with fasting, give them ease by remission; and when with tears the offender beggeth readmission, receive him, and let the whole church pray for him; and, when by imposition of thy hand thou hast admitted him, give him leave to abide afterwards in the flock.
But the drowsy and the careless convert, strengthen, exhort, heal; knowing how great a reward thou shalt have for doing so, and how great danger thou wilt incur if thou neglect these duties. For Ezekiel speaketh thus to those overseers who take no care of the people:
Woe unto the shepherds of Israel, for they have fed themselves; the shepherds feed not the sheep, but themselves. Ye eat the milk, and are clothed with the wool; ye slay the strong; yc do not feed the sheep. The weak have ye not strengthened, nor have ye healed that which was sick, nor have ye bound up that which was broken, nor have ye brought again that which was driven away, nor have ye sought that which was lost; but with force and insult have ye ruled over them; and they were scattered, because there was no shepherd; and they became meat to all the beasts of the forest. And again: The shepherds did not search for my sheep; and the shepherds fed themselves, but they fed not my sheep. And a little after: Behold, I am against the shepherds, and I will require my sheep at their hands, and cause them to cease from feeding my sheep; nor shall the shepherds feed themselves any more. And I will deliver my sheep out of their hands, and they shall not be meat for them.
And he also addeth, speaking to the people, Behold, I will judge between sheep and sheep, and between rams and rams. Seemed it a small thing unto you to have eaten up the good pasture, and to have trodden down with your feet the residue of your pasture, and that the sheep have eaten what was trodden down with your feet? And a little after he addeth, And ye shall know that I am the Lord, and ye, the sheep of my pasture, are my men, saith the Lord God.
Chapter XIX – That a shepherd who is careless of his sheep, incurreth penalty; and that a sheep which doth not obey the shepherd, is punished
Hear, ye Bishops, and hear, ye of the laity, how God speaketh: I will judge between ram and ram, and between sheep and sheep. And he saith to the shepherds, Ye shall be judged for your unsldlfulness, and for destroying the sheep. That is, I will judge between one Bishop and another, and between one lay person and another, and between one ruler and another (for these sheep and these rams are not irrational, but rational creatures); lest at any time a lay person should say, I am a sheep, and not a sheep herd, and I am not concerned for myself; let the shepherd look to that; for he alone will be required to give an account for me. For as that sheep which will not follow its good shepherd is exposed to the wolves unto its destruction; so that which followeth a bad sheep herd is also exposed to unavoidable death, since his shepherd will devour him. Wherefore, care must be had to avoid destructive shepherds.
Chapter XX – How the governed are to obey the Bishops who are set over them
As to a good shepherd, let the lay person honor him, love him, revere him as his Lord, as his Master, as a high-priest of God, as a teacher of piety. For he that heareth him heareth Christ, and he that rejecteth him rejecteth Christ. And he who doth not receive Christ, doth not receive his God and Father; for, saith he, He that heareth you heareth me, and he that rejecteth you rejecteth me, and he that rejecteth me rejecteth him that sent me.
In like manner, let the Bishop love the laity as his children, fostering and cherishing them with affectionate diligence; as eggs in order to the hatching of young ones; or as young ones, taking them in his arms, and rearing them into birds; admonishing all men, reproving all who stand in need of reproof; reproving, but not striking; pressing them down to make them ashamed, but not overthrowing them; warning them in order to their conversion, chiding them in order to their reformation and better course of life; watching the strong , that is, keeping him firm in the faith who is already strong; feeding the people peaceably; strengthening the weak, that is, confirming with exhortation that which is tempted; healing that which is sick, that is, curing by instruction that which is weak in the faith through doubtfulness of mind; binding up that which is broken, that is, binding up by comfortable admonitions that which is gone astray, or wounded, bruised, or broken by sins, and put out of the way; easing it of its offences, and giving hope: one that is thus invigorated, restore to the church; bring back to the flock. Bring again that which is driven away, that is, do not permit that which is in its sins, and is cast out by way of punishment, to continue excluded; but receiving it, and bringing it back, restore it to the flock, that is, to the people of the undefiled church. Seek for that which is lost, that is, do not suffer that which despondeth of its salvation, by reason of the multitude of its offences, utterly to perish. Search thou for that which is grown sleepy, drowsy, and sluggish, and that which is unmindful of its own life, through the depth of its sleep, and which is at a great distance from its own flock, so as to be in danger of falling among the wolves, and being devoured by them. Bring it back by admonition; exhort it to be watchful; and insinuate hope, not permitting it to say that which was said by some, Our impieties are upon us, and we pine away in them; how shall we then live?
As far as possible, therefore, let the Bishop make the offence his own, and say to the sinner, Do thou but return, and I will undertake to suffer death for thee, as our Lord suffered death for me and for all men. For the good shepherd layeth down his life for the sheep; but he that is a hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, that is, the devil, and leaveth the sheep and fleeth, and the wolf catcheth them. We must know, therefore, that God is very merciful to those who offend, and hath promised repentance with an oath. But he who hath offended, and is unacquainted with this promise of God concerning repentance, and doth not understand his long-suffering and forbearance; and besides, is ignorant of the Holy Scriptures, which proclaim repentance, and hath never learned them, perisheth through his folly.
But do thou, like a compassionate shepherd, and a diligent feeder of the flock, search out, and keep an account of the flock. Seek that which is wanting, as the Lord God our gracious Father hath sent his own Son, the good Shepherd and Saviour, our Master Jesus, and I hath commanded him to leave the ninety and nine upon the mountains , and to go in search after that which was lost; and, when he had found it, to take it upon his shoulders, and to carry it into the flock, rejoicing that he had found that which was lost.
In like manner be obedient, Bishop, and seek that which was lost; guide that which wandereth out of the right way; bring back that which is gone astray. For thou hast authority to bring them back, and to deliver those that are broken-hearted, by remission. By thee the Saviour saith to him who is discouraged under the sense of his sins, Thy sins are forgiven thee; thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace. But this peace and haven of tranquillity is the church of Christ, into which do thou, when thou hast loosed them from their sins, restore them, being now sound and unblamable, of good hope, diligent, laborious in good works. As a skilful and compassionate physician, heal all such as wander in the ways of sin; for they that are whole have no need of a physician, but they that are sick. For the Son of Man came to save and to seek that which was lost. Since thou art, therefore, a physician of the Lord’s church, provide remedies suit able to every patient’s case. Cure them, heal them by all means possible; restore them sound to the church. Feed the flock, not with insolence and contempt, as lording it over them, but as a gentle shepherd, gathering the lambs into thy bosom, and gently leading those which are with young.
Chapter XXI – That it is a dangerous thing to judge without hearing both sides, or to determine punishment against a person before he is convicted
Be gentle, gracious, mild; without guile, without falsehood; not rigid, not insolent, not severe, not arrogant, not unmerciful, not puffed up, not a man-pleaser, not timorous, not double-minded; not one that insulteth over the people that are under thee; not one that concealeth the divine laws, and the promises to repentance; not hasty in thrusting out and expelling, but cautious; not delighting in severity, nor rash. Do not admit less evidence to convict anyone than that of three witnesses, and those of known and established reputation. Inquire whether they do not accuse out of ill-will or envy; for there are many that delight in mischief, that are forward in discourse, slanderous, haters of the brethren, making it their business to scatter the sheep of Christ; whose affirmation if thou admittest without a careful scanning, thou wilt disperse thy flock, and betray it to be devoured by wolves, that is, by demons and wicked men, or rather not men, but wild beasts in the shape of men, by the heathen, by the Jews, and by the impious heretics. For those destroying wolves soon address themselves to anyone that is cast out of the church, and esteem him as a lamb delivered for them to devour, reckoning his destruction their own gain. For he that is their father, the devil, is a murderer.
He also who is separated unjustly by thy want of care in judging, will be overwhelmed with sorrow, and be disconsolate, and so will either wander among the heathen, or be entangled in heresies, and so be altogether estranged from the church, and from hope in God, and will be entangled in wickedness, whereby thou wilt be guilty of his perdition. For it is not fair to be too hasty in casting out an offender, but slow in receiving him when he returneth; to be forward in cutting off, but unmerciful when he is sorrowful, and ought to be healed. For of such as these the divine Scripture saith, Their feet run to mischief; they are hasty to shed innocent blood. Destruction and misery are in their ways; and the way of peace they have not known. The fear of God is not before their eyes. Now, the way of peace is our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath taught us, saying, Forgive, and ye shall be forgiven; give, and it shall be given to you. That is, give remission of sins, and your offences shall be forgiven you. As also he instructed us by his prayer to say unto God, For give us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
If, therefore, ye do not forgive offenders, how can ye expect the remission of your own sins? Do ye not rather bind yourselves more firmly, by pretending in your prayers to forgive, when ye really do not forgive? Will ye not be confronted with your own words, when ye say ye forgive, and do not forgive? For know ye, that he who casteth out one that hath not behaved himself wickedly, or who will not receive him that returneth, is a murderer of his brother, and sheddeth his blood, as Cain did that of his brother Abel; and his blood crieth to God, and will be required. For a righteous man unjustly slain by anyone will be in rest with God forever. The same is the case of him who, without cause, is separated by his Bishop. He who hath cast him out as a pestilent fellow, when he was innocent, is more furious than a murderer. Such a one hath no regard to the mercy of God, nor is mindful of his goodness to those that are penitent, not keeping in his eye the examples of those who, having been once great offenders, received forgiveness upon their repentance. On which account, he who casteth off an innocent person is more cruel than he that murdereth the body. In like manner, he who doth not receive the penitent scattereth the flock of Christ, being really against him. For as God is just in judging sinners, so is he merciful in receiving them when they return; for David, the man after God’s own heart, sang to him both of mercy and of judgment.
Chapter XXII – That David, the Ninevites, Hezekiah, and his son Manasseh, are eminent examples of repentance
It is thy duty, Bishop, to have before thine eyes the examples of those that have gone before, and to apply them skilfully to the cases of those who need words of severity or of consolation. Besides, it is reasonable that, in thine administration of justice, thou shouldst follow the will of God; and as God dealeth with sinners, and with those who return, that thou shouldst act accordingly in thy judging. Now did not God, by Nathan, reproach David for his offence? And yet, as soon as he said that he repented, he delivered him from death, saying, Be of good dicer, thou shalt not die. So also when God had caused Jonah to be swallowed up by the sea and the whale, upon his refusing to preach to the Ninevites; when yet he prayed to him out of the belly of the whale, he retrieved his life from corruption.
And when Hezekiah had been puffed up for a while, yet, as soon as he prayed with lamentation, he remitted his offence. Moreover, ye Bishops, hearken to an instance useful on this occasion. For it is written thus in the fourth book of Kings and the second book of Chronicles: And Hezekiah died, and Manasseh his son reigned. He was twelve years old when he began to reign; and he reigned fifty and five years in Jerusalem, and his mother’s name was Hephzibah. And he did evil in the sight of the Lord; and he did not abstain from the abominations of the heathen, whom the Lord destroyed from the face of the children of Israel. And Manasseh returned, and built the high places which Hezekiah his father had overthrown; and he reared pillars for Baal, and set up an altar for Baal, and made groves, as did Ahab, king of Israel. And he made altars in the house of the Lord, of which the Lord spake to David and to Solomon his son, saying, Therein will I put my name. And Manasseh set up altars, and by them served Baal, and said, My name shall continue forever. And he built altars to the host of heaven, in the two courts of the house of the Lord; and he made his children pass through the fire in the valley of the son of Hinnom; and he consulted enchanters, and dealt with wizards and familiar spirits, and with conjurers, and observers of times, and with Teraphim; and he sinned exceedingly in the eyes of the Lord, to provoke him to anger; and he set a molten and a graven image, the image of his grove, which he made in the house of the Lord, wherein the Lord had chosen to put his name in Jerusalem the holy city forever, and had said, I will no more remove my foot from the land of Israel, which I gave to their fathers; only if they will observe to do according to all that I have commanded them, and according to all the precepts that my servant Moses commanded them. And they hearkened not. And Manasseh seduced them to do more evil before the Lord than did the nations whom the Lord cast out from the face of the children of Israel. And the Lord spake concerning Manasseh, and concerning his people, by the hand of his servants the prophets, saying, Because Manasseh, king of Judah, hath done all these wicked abominations in a higher degree than the Amorite did who was before him, and hath made Judah to sin with his idols; thus saith the Lord God of Israel, Behold, I bring evils upon Jerusalem and Judah, that whosoever heareth of them, both his ears shall tingle. And I will stretch over Jerusalem the line of Samaria, and the plummet of the house of Ahab; and I will blot out Jerusalem, as a tablet is blotted out by wiping it. And I will turn it upside down, and I will give up the remnant of mine inheritance, and will deliver them into the hands of their enemies; and they shall become a prey and a spoil to all their enemies; because of all the evils which they have done in mine eyes, and have provoked me to anger from the day that I brought their fathers out of the land of Egypt, even until this day. Moreover, Manasseh shed innocent blood very much, till he had filled Jerusalem from one end to another; besides his sins wherewith he made Judah to sin in doing evil in the sight of the Lord.
And the Lord brought upon him the captains of the host of the king of Assyria; and they caught Manasseh in bonds, and they bound him in fetters of brass, and brought him to Babylon; and he was bound and shackled with iron all over in the house of the prison.; and bread made of bran was given unto him scantily, and by weight, and water mixed with vinegar, but a little and by measure, so much as would keep him alive, and he was in straits and sore affliction.
And when he was violently afflicted, he besought the face of the Lord his God, and humbled himself greatly before the face of the Lord God of his fathers. And he prayed unto the Lord, saying:
Lord, Almighty God of our fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and of their righteous seed; who hast made heaven and earth, with all the ornament thereof; who hast bound the sea by the word of thy commandment; who hast shut up the deep, and sealed it by thy terrible and glorious name; whom all things fear, and they trem ble before thy power. For the majesty of thy glory cannot be borne; and thine angry threatening towards sinners is insupportable. But thy merciful promise is unmeasurable and unsearchable; for thou art the most high Lord, of great compassion, long-suffering, very merciful, and repentest thee at the calamities of men. Thou, Lord, according to thy great goodness, hast promised forgiveness to them that have sinned against thee; and of thine infinite mercy hast appointed repentance unto sinners, that they may be saved. Thou, therefore, Lord, that art the God of the just, hast not appointed repentance to the just, as to Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, who have not sinned against thee; but thou hast appointed repentance unto me that am a sinner; for I have sinned above the number of the sands of the sea. My transgressions, Lord, are multiplied, my transgressions are multiplied; and I am not worthy to behold and see the height of heaven, for the multitude of mine iniquities. I am bowed down with many iron bands, so that I cannot lift up my head, nor have any release; for I have provoked thy wrath, and done evil be fore thee. I did not thy will, nor kept thy commandments. I have set up abominations, and have multiplied offences. Now, therefore, I bow the knee of my heart, imploring thy grace. I have sinned, Lord, I have sinned, and I acknowledge mine iniquities. Wherefore,
1 humbly beseech thee, forgive me, Lord, forgive me, and destroy me not with mine iniquities. Be not angry with me forever, by reserving evil for me; nor condemn me into the lower part of the earth. For thou art the God, even the God of them that repent, and in me thou wilt show all thy goodness; for thou wilt save me that am unworthy, according to thy great mercy. Therefore I will praise thee forever all the days of my life; for all the powers of the heavens do praise thee, and thine is the glory forever and ever. Amen.
And the Lord heard his voice, and had compassion upon him; and there appeared a flame of fire about him, and all the iron shackles and chains fell off; and the Lord healed Manasseh from his affliction, and brought him back to Jerusalem unto his kingdom; and Manasseh knew that the Lord is God alone. And he worshipped the Lord God alone, with all his heart, and with all his soul, all the days of his life; and he was esteemed righteous; and he took away the strange gods, and the graven image out of the house of the Lord, and all the altars which he had built in the house of the Lord, and all the altars in Jerusalem; and he cast them out of the city. And he repaired the altar of the Lord, and sacrificed thereon peace-offerings and thank-offerings. And he spake to Judah to serve the Lord God of Israel. And he slept in peace with his fathers; and Amon his son reigned in his stead. And he did evil in the sight of the Lord, according to all things that Manasseh his father had done in the former part of his reign; and he provoked the Lord his God to anger.’
Ye have heard, our beloved children, how the Lord God for a while punished him that was addicted to idols, and had slain many innocent persons; and vet that he received him when he repented, and forgave him his offences, and restored him to his kingdom. For he not only forgiveth the penitent, but reinstateth them in their former dignity.
Chapter XXIII – Amon may be an example to such as sin with a high hand
There is no sin more grievous than idolatry; for it is an impiety against God; and yet even this sin hath been forgiven, upon sincere repentance. But if anyone sin in direct opposition, and on purpose to try whether God will punish the wicked or not, such a one shall have no remission, although he say with himself, All is well, and I will walk according to the conversation of mine evil heart. Such a one was Amon, the son of Manasseh. For the Scripture saith, And Amon reasoned an evil reasoning of transgression, and said, My father from his childhood was a great transgressor, and repented in his old age; and now I will walk as my soul listeth; and afterwards I will return unto the Lord. And he did evil in the sight of the Lord above all that were before him. And the Lord God soon destroyed him utterly from his good land. And his servants con spired against him, and slew him in his own house; and he reigned two years only.
Chapter XXIV – That Christ Jesus our Lord came to save sinners by repentance
Take heed, therefore, ye of the laity, lest anyone of you fix the reasoning of Amon in his heart, and be suddenly cut off, and perish. In the same manner, let the Bishop take all the care he can that those who are yet innocent may not fall into sin. And let him heal and receive those who turn from their sins. But if he is pitiless, and will not receive the repenting sinner, he will sin against the Lord his God, pretending to be more just than God’s justice, and not receiving him whom He hath received through Christ; for whose sake he sent his Son upon earth to men, as a man; for whose sake God was pleased that he who was the Maker of man and woman should be born of a woman; for whose sake he did not spare him from the cross, from death and burial; but permitted him to die who by nature could not suffer; his beloved Son, God the Word; the angel of his great council; that he might deliver those from death who were obnoxious to death. Him do those provoke to anger who do not receive the penitent. For he was not ashamed of me, Matthew, who was formerly a publican; and admitted Peter, who had through fear denied him three times, but had appeased him by repentance, and had wept bitterly; nay, he made him a shepherd to his own lambs. Moreover, he ordained Paul, our fellow apostle, to be of a persecutor an apostle, and declared him a chosen vessel, even when he had heaped many mischiefs upon us before, and had blasphemed his sacred name. He saith also to another, a woman that was a sinner, Thy sins are many, are forgiven; for thou lovedst much. And when the elders, setting before him another woman who had sinned, had left the sentence to him, and were gone out, our Lord, the searcher of hearts, inquiring of her whether the elders had condemned her, and being answered No, he said unto her, Go thy way, therefore, for neither do I condemn thee.
Ye Bishops, this Jesus, our Saviour, our King, and our God, ought to be set before you as a pattern; and him ye ought to imitate, in being meek, quiet, compassionate, merciful, peaceable, free from anger, apt to teach, and diligent to convert, willing to receive and to comfort; no strikers, not soon angry, not injurious, not arrogant, not supercilious, not wine-bibbers, not drunkards, not vainly expensive, not lovers of delicacies, not extravagant; using the gifts of God, not as another’s, but as one’s own; as good stewards appointed over them, as those who will be required by God to give an account of the same. Let the Bishop esteem such food and raiment sufficient as suit necessity and decency. Let him not make use of the Lord’s goods as another’s, but moderately; for the laborer is worthy of his reward. Let him not be luxurious in diet, nor fond of idle furniture; but let him desire those things only which belong to his condition.
Chapter XXV – Of first-fruits and tithes; and after what manner the Bishop is him
self to partake of them, or to distribute them to others
Let him use those tenths and first-fruits which are given according to the command of God, as a man of God. Let him dispense in a right manner the freewill offerings which are brought in on account of the poor, the orphans, the widows, the afflicted, and strangers in distress, as having that God for the examiner of his accounts who hath committed the disposition to him. Moreover, distribute with righteousness to all those who are in want; and use, yourselves, the things which belong to the Lord, but do not abuse them; eating of them, but not eating them all up by yourselves. Communicate with those that are in want, and thereby show yourselves unblamable before God. For if ye shall consume them by yourselves, ye will be reproached by God, who saith, as to insatiable and selfish devourers. Ye eat up the milk, and clothe yourselves with the wool; and in another passage, Must ye alone live upon the earth. On which account ye are commanded in the law, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.
Now we say these things, not as if ye might not partake of the fruits of your labors; for it is written, Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox which treadeth out the corn; but that ye should do it with moderation and righteousness. As therefore the ox that laboreth in the threshing-floor without a muzzle, eateth indeed, but doth not eat all up; so do ye who labor in the threshing-floor, that is, in the church of God, eat of the church; which was also the case of the Levites, who served in the tabernacle of the testimony, which was in all things a type of the church.
Moreover, also, its very name implied that that tabernacle was fore-appointed for a testimony of the church. Here, therefore, the Levites, who attended upon the tabernacle, partook of those things which were offered to God by all the people, namely, gifts, offerings, and first-fruits, and tithes, and sacrifices, and oblations, without disturbance, they and their wives, and their sons, and their daughters. Since their employment was the ministration of the tabernacle, therefore they had not any lot or inheritance in the land among the children of Israel, because the oblations of the people were the lot of Levi, and the inheritance of their tribe.
Ye, therefore, at the present day, Bishops, are to your people priests and Levites, ministering to the holy tabernacle, the holy catholic church; who stand at the altar of the Lord your God, and offer to him reasonable and unbloody sacrifices, through Jesus, the great High Priest. Ye are to the laity, prophets, rulers, governors, and kings; the mediators between God and his faithful people, who receive and declare his word, well acquainted with the Scriptures. Ye are the voice of God, and witnesses of his will, who bear the sins of all, and intercede for all; whom, as ye have heard, the Word severely threateneth, if ye hide from men the key of knowledge, who are liable to perdition, if ye do not declare his will to the people that are under you; who shall have a sure reward from God, and unspeakable honor and glory, if ye duly minister to the holy tabernacle. For as yours is the burden, so ye receive, as your fruit, the supply of food and other necessaries. For ye imitate Christ the Lord; and, as he bare the sins of us all upon the tree, at his crucifixion, the innocent for those who deserved punishment; so also ye ought to make the sins of the people your own. For concerning our Saviour, it is said in Isaiah, He beareth our sins, and is afflicted for us. And again, He bare the sins of many, and was delivered for their offences. As therefore ye are patterns for others, so ye have Christ for your pattern; as therefore he himself is the pattern for you all, so are ye for the laity under you. Think not that the office of a Bishop is an easy or light burden. As therefore ye bear the weight, so ye have a right to partake of the fruits before others, and to impart to those that are in want, as having to give an account to Him who without bias will examine your accounts.
For they who attend upon the church ought to be maintained by the church, as being priests, Levites, presidents, and ministers of God. As it is written in the book of Numbers concerning the priests: And the Lord said unto Aaron, Thou and thy sons; and the house of thy family, shall bear the iniquities of the sanctuary and of your priesthood. Behold, I have given unto you the charge of the first-fruits. From all that are sanctified to me by the children of Israel; I have given them for a reward to thee, and to thy sons after thee, by an ordinance forever. This shall be yours out of the holy things, out of the oblations, and out of the gifts, and out of all the sacrifices, and out of every trespass-offering and sin-offering, and all that they render unto me out of all their holy things; they shall belong to thee, and to thy sons. In the sanctuary shall they eat them. And a little after: All the first-fruits of the oil, and of the wine, and of the wheat, and all that they shall give unto the Lord, to thee have I given them; and all that is first ripe, to thee have I given it, and every devoted thing. Every first-born of man and of beast, clean and unclean, and the breast and the right shoulder of a sacrifice, appertain to the priests, and to the rest who continue with them, namely, the Levites.
Hear this, ye of the laity also, the elect church of God. For the people were formerly called, the people of God, and a holy nation. Ye, therefore, are the holy and sacred church of God, enrolled in heaven, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people, a bride adorned for the Lord God, a great church, a faithful church. Hear attentively now what was said formerly: Oblations and tithes belong to Christ, our High Priest, and to those who minister to him. Tithes of salvation are the first letter of the name of Jesus. Hear, thou holy catholic church, who hast escaped the ten plagues, and hast received the ten commandments, and hast learned the law, and hast kept the faith, and hast believed in Jesus, and art named after his name, and art established, and shinest in the consummation of his glory. Those which were then the sacrifices are now prayers, and intercessions, and thanksgivings. Those which were then first-fruits, and tithes, and offerings, and gifts, are now oblations, which are presented by holy Bishops to the Lord God, through Jesus Christ, who hath died for them. For these are your high priests, as the presbyters are your priests; and your present deacons are instead of the Levites, as are also your readers, your singers, your porters, your deaconesses, your widows, your virgins, and your orphans. But he who is above all these is the high priest.
Chapter XXVI – According to what pattern and dignity every order of the clergy is appointed by God
The Bishop is the minister of the Word, the keeper of knowledge, the mediator between God and you in the several parts of your divine worship. He is the teacher of piety; and, next after God, he is your father, who hath begotten you again to the adoption of sons by water and the Spirit. He is your ruler and governor; he is your king and potentate; he is, next after God, your earthly god, who hath a right to be honored by you. For concerning him and such as he, it is that God pronounceth, I have said, Ye are gods, and ye are all children of the Most High; and, Ye shall not speak evil of the gods.
Let the Bishop, therefore, preside over you as one honored with the authority of God, which he is to exercise over the clergy, and by which he is to govern all the people. But let the deacon minister to him as Christ doth to his Father, and let him serve him unblamably in all things, as Christ doeth nothing of himself, but doeth always those things that please his Father. Let also the deaconess be honored by you in the place of the Holy Ghost, and not do nor say anything without the deacon; as neither doth the Comforter say nor do anything of himself, but giveth glory to Christ by waiting for his pleasure. And as we cannot believe on Christ without the teaching of the Spirit, so let not any woman address herself to the deacon or to the Bishop without the deaconess. Let the presbyters be esteemed by you to represent us the apostles, and let them be the teachers of divine knowledge; since our Lord, when he sent us, said, Go ye, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost; teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you. Let the widows and orphans be esteemed as representing the altar of burnt-offering; and let the virgins be honored as representing the altar of incense, and the incense itself.
Chapter XXVII – That it is a horrible thing for a man to thrust himself into any sacerdotal office, as did Corall and his company, Saul, and Uzziah
As therefore it was not lawful for one of another tribe, that was not a Levite, to offer anything, or to approach the altar without the priest; so also do ye nothing without the Bishop. But if anyone doeth anything without the Bishop, he doeth it to no purpose. For it will not be esteemed as of any avail to him. For as Saul, when he had offered without Samuel, was told, It will not avail for thee; so every person among the laity, doing anything without the priest, laboreth in vain. And as Uzziah the king, who was not a priest, and yet would exercise the functions of the priests, was smitten with leprosy for his transgression; so every lay-person shall be punished who despiseth God, and, raging against his priests, snatcheth the honor to himself; not imitating Christ, who glorified not himself to be made a High Priest, but waited till he heard from his Father, The Lord sware, and will not repent, Thou art a Priest forever after the order of Melchisedek. If, therefore, Christ did not glorify himself without God the Father, how dareth any man thrust himself into the priesthood who hath not received that dignity from his superior, and do those things which it is lawful only for the priests to do? Were not the followers of Corah, even they who were of the tribe of Levi, consumed with fire, because they rose up against Moses and Aaron, and meddled with such things as did not belong to them? And Dathan and Abiram went down quick into hell; and the rod that budded put a stop to the madness of the multitude, and showed who was the high priest ordained by God.
Ye ought, therefore, brethren, to bring your sacrifices and your oblations to the Bishop, as to your high priest, either by yourselves or by the deacons; and bring to him not those only, but also your first-fruits, and your tithes, and your free-will offerings. For He knoweth who they are that are in affliction, and giveth to every one as is convenient, so that one may not receive alms twice or oftener the same day or the same week, while another hath nothing at all. For it is reasonable rather to supply the wants of those who are really in distress, than of those who only appear to be so.
Chapter XXVIII – Of an entertainment; and how each distinct order of the clergy is to be treated by those who invite them to it
If any determine to invite elder women to an entertainment of love or a feast, as our Saviour hath denominated it, let them most frequently send to her whom the deacons know to be in distress.
But let what is the pastor’s due, I mean the first-fruits, be set apart in the feast for him (even though he be not at the entertainment), as being your priest, and in honor of that God who hath entrusted him with the priesthood. But whatever be the portion given to each of the elder women, let double be given to the deacons, in honor of Christ. Let also a double portion be set apart for the presbyters, as for those who labor about the Word and doctrine, on account of the apostles of our Lord, whose place they sustain as the counsellors of the Bishop, and the crown of the church. For they are the sanhedrim and senate of the church. If there be a reader there, let him receive a single portion, in honor of the prophets; and let the singer and the porter have as much.
Let the laity, therefore, pay to each distinct order the proper honor, in gifts and in respectful deportment. But let them not on all occasions trouble their ruler; but let them signify their desires by those who minister to him, that is, by the deacons, with whom they may be more free. For neither may we address ourselves to Almighty God, but only by Christ. In the same manner, therefore, let the laity make known all their desires to the Bishop by the deacon; and accordingly let them act as he shall direct them. For there was no holy thing offered or done in the temple formerly without the priest: for the priest’s lips shall keep knowledge, and they shall seek the Law at his mouth; as the prophet somewhere saith; for he is the messenger of the Lord Almighty. For if the worshippers of demons, in their hateful, abominable, and impure performances till this very day, imitate the sacred rules (it is a wide comparison indeed, and there is a vast distance between their abominations and God’s sacred worship), they neither offer nor do anything in their delusive acts of worship, without their pretended priest; but they esteem him as the very mouth of their idols of stone, waiting to see what commands he will lay upon them. And whatsoever he commandeth them, that they do; and without him they do nothing; and they honor their pretended priest himself, and esteem his name as venerable in honor of lifeless statues, and in order to the worship of wicked spirits. If these heathens, therefore, who give glory to lying vanities, and place their hope on nothing that is firm, endeavor to imitate the sacred rules, how much more reasonable is it that ye, who have a most certain faith and undoubted hope, and who expect glorious, and eternal, and never-failing promises, should honor the Lord God in those who are set over you, and esteem the Bishops to be the mouth of God!
Chapter XXIX – What is the dignity of a Bishop and of a Deacon
For if Aaron, because he declared to Pharaoh the words of God from Moses, is called a prophet, and Moses himself is called a god to Pharaoh, on account of his being at once a king and a high priest, as God saith to him, I have made thee a god to Pharaoh, and Aaron thy brother shall be thy prophet; why do not ye also esteem the mediators of the word to be prophets, and revere them as gods?
Chapter XXX – After what manner the Laity are to be obedient to the Deacon
For now the Deacon is to you Aaron; and the Bishop, Moses. If, therefore, Moses was called a god by the Lord, let the Bishop be honored among you as a god, and the Deacon as his prophet. For as Christ doeth nothing without his Father, so neither doeth the Deacon anything without his Bishop. And as the Son without his Father is nothing, so is the Deacon nothing without his Bishop. And as the Son is subject to his Father, so is every Deacon subject to his Bishop; and as the Son is the messenger and prophet of the Father, so is the Deacon the messenger and prophet of his Bishop. Wherefore, let all things that he is to do with anyone be made known to the Bishop, and by him be perfected.
Chapter XXXI – That the Deacon must not do anything without the Bishop
Let him not do anything at all without his Bishop, nor give anything without his consent. For if he give to anyone as to a person in distress, without the Bishop’s knowledge, he will give it so that it must tend to the reproach of the Bishop, and will accuse him as careless of the distressed. But he that casteth reproach on his Bishop, either by word or by deed, opposeth God, not hearkening to what he saith, Thou shalt not speak evil of the gods. For he did not make that law concerning deities of wood and of stone, which are abominable, because they are falsely called gods; but concerning the priests and the judges, to whom God also said, Ye are gods and children of the Most High.
Chapter XXXII – That the Deacon must not make any distributions without the consent of the Bishop, because that will turn to the reproach of the Bishop
If, therefore, Deacon, thou knowest anyone to be in distress, put the Bishop in mind of him, and so give to him; but do nothing in a clandestine way, tending to his reproach, lest thou raise a murmur against him. For the murmur will not be against him, but against the Lord God. And the Deacon, with the rest, will hear what Aaron and Miriam heard, when they spake against Moses, How is it that ye were not afraid to speak against my servant Moses? And again, Moses saith to those who rose up against him, Your murmuring is not against us, but against the Lord our God. For if he that calleth one of the laity Raca, or fool, shall be punished as doing injury to the name of Christ, how dareth any man speak against his Bishop, by whom the Lord gave the Holy Spirit among you upon the laying on of his hands; by whom ye have learned the sacred doctrines, and have known God, and have believed in Christ; by whom ye were known of God; by whom ye were sealed with the oil of gladness and the ointment of understanding; by whom ye were declared to be the children of light; by whom the Lord in your illumination testified by the imposition of the Bishop’s hands, and sent out his sacred voice upon every one of you, saying, Thou art my son, this day have I begotten thee. By thy Bishop, man, God adopteth thee for his child. Acknowledge, son, that right hand which was a mother to thee. Love him who, after God, is become a father to thee, and honor him.
Chapter XXXIII – After what manner the Priests are to be honored and to be reverenced as our spiritual parents
For if the Divine Oracle saith concerning our parents according to the flesh, Honor thy father and thy mother, that it may be well with thee; and, He that curseth his father or his mother, let him die the death; how much more should the Word exhort you to honor your spiritual parents, and to love them as your benefactors and ambassadors with God, who have regenerated you by water, and endued you with the fulness of the Holy Spirit, who have fed you with the word as with milk, who have nourished you with doctrine, who have confirmed you by their admonitions, who have imparted to you the saving body and precious blood of Christ, who have loosed you from your sins, who have made you partakers of the holy and sacred Eucharist, who have admitted you to be partakers and fellow-heirs of the promise of God! Reverence these, and honor them with all kinds of honor; for they have received from God the power of life and death in judging sinners and condemning them to the death of eternal fire, as also in loosing the penitent from their sins, and restoring them to a new life.
Chapter XXXIV – That the Priests are to be preferred before the Rulers and Kings
Account these worthy to be esteemed your rulers and kings, and bring them tribute as to kings. For by you they and their families ought to be maintained. As Samuel made constitutions for the people concerning a king, in the first book of Kings, and Moses, concerning priests, in Leviticus; so do we also make constitutions for you concerning Bishops. For if there the multitude distributed the inferior services in proportion to so great a king, ought not therefore the Bishop much more now to receive of you those things which are divinely determined for the sustenance of himself, and of the rest of the clergy with him? But, if anything further ought to be said, let the Bishop receive more than the other received of old. For he only managed the affairs of the soldiery, being intrusted with war and peace for the preservation of men’s bodies; but the other is intrusted with the exercise of the priestly office in relation to God. in order to preserve both body and soul from dangers. By how much, therefore, the soul is more valuable than the body, so much the priestly office is beyond the kingly. For it bindeth and looseth those that are worthy of punishment or of remission. Wherefore, ye ought to love the Bishop as your father, and fear him as your king, and honor him as your lord, bringing to him your fruits and the works of your hands, for a blessing upon you, giving to him your first-fruits, and your tithes, and your oblations, and your gifts, as to the priest of God; the first-fruits of your wheat, and wine, and oil, and autumnal fruits, and wool, and all things which the Lord God giveth thee. And thine offering shall be accepted as a savor of a sweet smell to the Lord thy God; and the Lord will bless the works of thy hands, and will multiply the good things of thy land. For a blessing is upon the head of him that giveth.
Chapter XXXV – That both the Law and the Gospel prescribe offerings
Now ye ought to know, that although the Lord hath delivered you from the additional bonds, and hath brought you out of them to your refreshment, and doth not permit you to sacrifice irrational creatures for sin-offerings, and purifications, and scape-goats, and continual washings and sprinklings, yet hath he nowhere freed you from those oblations which ye owe to the priests, nor from doing so to the poor. For the Lord saith to you in the Gospel, Unless your righteousness abound more than that of the Scribes and Pharisees, ye shall by no means enter into the kingdom of heaven. Now herein will your righteousness exceed theirs, if ye take greater care of the priests, the orphans, and the widows: as it is written, He hath scattered abroad, he hath given to the poor, his righteousness remaineth forever. And again, By acts of righteousness and faith, iniquities are purged. And again, Every bountiful soul is blessed.
So, therefore, shalt thou do as the Lord hath appointed, and shalt give to the priest what things are due to him, the first-fruits of thy floor and of thy wine-press, and sin-offerings, as to the mediator between God and such as stand in need of purification and forgiveness. For it is thy duty to give, and his to administer, as being the administrator and disposer of ecclesiastical affairs.
Yet thou shalt not call thy Bishop to account, nor watch his administration, how he performeth it, when, or to whom, or where, or whether he do it well or ill, or indifferently; for he hath one who will call him to an account, the Lord God, who put this administration into his hands, and thought him worthy of the priesthood of so great dignity.
Chapter XXXVI – Mention of the ten commandments; and after what manner they prescribe
Have before thine eyes the fear of God, and always remember the ten commandments of God: to love the one and only Lord God with all thy strength; to give no heed to idols, or such like, as being lifeless gods, or irrational beings, or demons. Consider the manifold workmanship of God, which received its beginning through Christ. Thou shalt observe the Sabbath, on account of Him who ceased from his work of creation, but ceased not from his work of providence. It is a rest for meditation of the law, not for idleness of the hands. Reject every unlawful lust, everything destructive to men, and all anger. Honor thy parents, as the authors of thy being. Love thy neighbor as thyself. Communicate the necessaries of life to the needy. Avoid swearing falsely, and swearing often, and in vain; for thou shalt not be held guiltless. Appear not before the priests empty; and offer thy free-will offerings continually. Moreover, do not neglect the church of Christ; but go thither in the morning before all thy work, and again meet there in the evening, to return thanks to God that he hath preserved thy life. Be diligent, and constant, and laborious in thy calling. Offer to the Lord thy free-will offerings; for saith he, Honor the Lord with the fruit of thine honest labors. If thou art not able to cast anything considerable into the sacred treasury, yet at least bestow upon the strangers one or two or five mites. Lay up for thyself heavenly treasure, which neither the moth nor thieves can destroy. And, in doing this, judge not thy Bishop, nor any of thy neighbors among the laity; for if thou judge thy brother, thou becomest a judge, without being constituted such by anybody; for the priests only are intrusted with the power of judging. For to them it is said, Judge righteous judgment; and again, Approve yourselves to be exact money-changers. For to you this is not intrusted; for, on the contrary, it is said to those who are not of the dignity of magistrates or ministers, Judge not, and ye shall not be judged.
Chapter XXXVII – Concerning accusers and false accusers; and how a judge is not rashly either to believe them or to disbelieve them, but after an accurate examination
But it is the duty of the Bishop to judge rightly; as it is written, Judge righteous judgment; and elsewhere, Why do ye not even of yourselves, judge what is right? Be ye therefore as skilful dealers in money. For as these reject bad money, but take to themselves what is current: in the same manner it is the Bishop’s duty to retain the unblamable, but either to heal, or, if they be past cure, to cast off those that are blameworthy, so as not to be hasty in cutting off, nor to believe all accusations. For it sometimes happeneth that some, either through passion or envy, insist on a false accusation against a brother; as did the two elders in the case of Susanna, in Babylon, and the Egyptian woman in the case of Joseph. Do thou, therefore, as a man of God, not rashly receive such accusations, lest thou take away the innocent, and slay the righteous. For he that will receive such accusations is the author of anger, rather than of peace. But where there is anger, there the Lord is not. For that anger, which is the friend of Satan, I mean that which is excited unjustly by the means of false brethren, never suffereth unanimity to be in the church. Wherefore, when ye know such persons to be foolish, quarrelsome, passionate, and delighting in mischief, do not give credit to them; but observe such as they are, when ye hear anything from them against their brother. For murder is nothing in their eyes, and they cast a man down in such a way as one would not suspect.
Do thou, therefore, consider diligently the accuser, wisely observing his conversation, what, and of what sort, it is; and in case thou find him a man of veracity, do according to the doctrine of the Lord; and, taking him who is accused, rebuke him privately, that he may repent. But, if he be not persuaded, take with thee one or two more, and thus show him his fault, and admonish him with mildness and instruction; for wisdom will rest upon a heart that is good, but is not understood in the heart of the foolish.
Chapter XXXVIII – That they who sin are to be privately reproved, and the penitent to be received, according to the constitution of our Lord
If, therefore, he be persuaded by the mouth of you three, it is well. But if anyone harden himself, Tell it to the church. But if he neglect to hear the church, let him be to thee as a heathen man and a publican; and receive him no longer into the church as a Christian, but reject him as a heathen. But if he be willing to repent, receive him. For the church doth not receive a heathen or a publican to communion, before they every one repent of their former iniquities. For our Lord Jesus, the Christ of God, hath appointed place for the acceptance of men upon their repentance.
Chapter XXXIX – Examples of Repentance
For I, Matthew, one of the twelve who speak to you in this doctrine, am an apostle, having myself been formerly a publican, but now have obtained mercy through believing, and have repented of my former practices, and have been accounted worthy to be an apostle, and preacher of the word. And Zaccheus, whom the Lord received upon his repentance and prayers to him, was also himself in the same manner a publican at first. And besides, even the soldiers and multitude of publicans, who came to hear the word of the Lord concerning repentance, heard this from the prophet John, after he had baptized them, Do nothing more than that which is appointed you. In like manner, life is not refused to the heathen, if they repent, and cast away their unbelief.
Esteem, therefore, every one that is convicted of any wicked action, and has not repented, as a publican or a heathen. But if he afterwards repent, and turn from his error, then as we receive them into the church indeed to hear the word, but do not receive them to communion, until they, having received the seal, are made complete Christians; so do we also permit such as these to enter only to hear, until they show the fruit of repentance, that, by hearing the word, they may not utterly and irrecoverably perish. But let them not be admitted to communion in prayer; and let them depart after the reading of the Law, and the Prophets, and the Gospel, that by such departure they may be made better in their course of life, by endeavoring to meet every day about the public assemblies, and to be frequent in prayer, that they also may be at length admitted, and that those who behold them may be affected, and be more secured by fearing to fall into the same condition.
Chapter XL – That we are not to be implacable towards him who hath once or twice offended
But yet do not thou, Bishop, presently abhor any person who hath fallen into one or two offences, nor shalt thou exclude him from the word of the Lord, nor reject him from common intercourse; since neither did the Lord refuse to eat with publicans and sinners; and, when he was accused by the Pharisees on this account, he said, They that are well have no need of a physician , but they that are sick. Converse and dwell, therefore, with those who are separated from you for their sins, and take care of them, comforting them, and confirming them, and saying, Be strengthened, ye weak hands and feeble knees. For ye ought to comfort those that mourn, and afford encouragement to the faint-hearted, lest by immoderate sorrow they degenerate into distraction; since he that is faint-hearted is exceedingly distracted.
Chapter XLI – How we ought to receive the penitent, and how to bear with them that sin, and when to cut them off from the church
But if anyone return, and show forth the fruit of repentance, then Deceive him to prayer, as the lost son, the prodigal, who had consumed his father’s substance with harlots; who fed swine, and desired to be fed with husks, and could not obtain them. When this son repented, and returned to his father, and said, I have sinned against Heaven and before thee, and am no more worthy to be called thy son; the father, full of affection to his child, received him with music, and restored to him his former robe, and ring, and shoes, and slew the fatted calf, and made merry with his friends.
Do thou, therefore, Bishop, act in the same manner; and as thou receivest a heathen, after thou hast instructed and baptized him, so do thou let all join in prayers for this man, and restore him by imposition of hands to his ancient place among the flock, as one purified by repentance. And that imposition of hands shall be to him instead of baptism. For, by the laying on of our hands, the Holy Ghost was given to believers. And, in case someone of those brethren who had stood immovable accuse thee because thou art reconciled to him, say to him, Thou art always with me, and all that I have is thine. It was meet to make merry and be glad; for this thy brother was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.
For that God doth not only receive the penitent, but restoreth them to their former dignity, holy David is a sufficient witness; who, after his sin in the matter of Uriah, prayed to God, and said, Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation, and uphold me with thy free spirit. And again, Turn thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine offences. Create in me a clean heart, God, and renew a right spirit in mine inward parts. Cast me not away from thy presence, and take not thy holy spirit from me.
As a compassionate physician, therefore, do thou heal all that sin, making use of saving methods of cure; not only cutting and searing, or using corrosives, but binding up, and dressing with lint, and using gentle healing medicines, and sprinkling comfortable words. If it be a hollow wound or great gash, nourish it with a suitable plaster, that it may be filled up, and become even with the rest of the whole flesh. If it be foul, cleanse it with corrosive powder, that is, with the words of reproof. If it have proud flesh, cut it down with a sharp plaster, the threats of judgment. If it spread farther, sear it, and cut off the putrid flesh, subduing it with fastings. But if, after all that thou hast done, thou perceivest that from the feet to the head there is no room for a fomentation, or oil, or bandage, but that the malady spreadeth, and preventeth all cure, as a gangrene, which corrupteth the entire member; then, with a great deal of consideration, and the advice of other skilful physicians, cut off the putrified member, that the whole body of the church be not corrupted. Be not therefore ready and hasty to cut off, nor do thou easily have recourse to the saw, with its many teeth; but first use a lancet to lay open the wound, that the inward cause, whence the pain is derived, being drawn out, may keep the body free from pain. But if thou seest anyone past repentance, and he hath become insensible, then, with sorrow and lamentation, cut off from the church the incurable. For, Put away from among yourselves that wicked person. And, Ye shall make the children of Israel circumspect. And, again, Thou shalt not accept the persons of the rich in judgment. And, Thou shalt not pity a poor man in his cause; for the judgment is the Lord’s.
Chapter XLII – That a Judge must not be a respecter of persons
But if the slanderous accusation be false, and ye that are the pastors, with the deacons, admit that falsehood for truth, either by acceptance of persons or by receiving bribes, as willing to do that which will be pleasing to the devil; and so ye thrust out him that is accused, but is clear of the crime; ye shall give an account in the day of the Lord. For it is written, The innocent and the righteous thou shalt not slay. Thou shalt not take gifts to smite the soul; for gifts blind the eyes of the wise , and destroy the words of the righteous. And, again, They that justify the wicked for gifts , and take away the righteousness of the righteous from him.
Take care, therefore, lest by any means ye become accepters of persons, and thereby fall under this voice of the Lord. Be careful therefore not to condemn any unjustly, and so to assist the wicked. For, Woe to him that calleth evil good, and good evil, bitter sweet, and sweet bitter; that putteth light for darkness, and darkness for light. For if ye condemn others unjustly, ye pass sentence against yourselves. For the Lord saith, With what judgement ye judge, ye shall be judged; and as ye condemn, ye shall be condemned.
If, therefore, ye judge without respect of persons, ye will discover that accuser who beareth false witness against his neighbor, and will prove him to be a sycophant, a spiteful person, and a murderer, causing perplexity (by accusing the man as if he were wicked) , inconstant in his words, contradicting himself in what he affirmeth, and entangled with the words of his own mouth. For his own lips are a dangerous snare to him. Whom, when thou hast convicted him of speaking falsely, thou shalt judge severely, and shalt deliver him to the fiery sword, and thou shalt do to him as he wickedly purposed to do to his brother. For, as much as in him lay, he slew his brother, by forestalling the ears of the judge. Now, it is written, that He that sheddeth man’s blood, for that his own blood shall be shed. And, Thou shalt take away from thee that innocent blood which was shed without cause.
Chapter XLIII – How false accusers are to be punished
Thou shalt, therefore, cast him out of the congregation as a murderer of his brother. Sometime afterwards, if he say that he repenteth, mortify him with fastings; and afterwards ye shall lay your hands upon him, and receive him; but still securing him, that he do not disturb anyone a second time. But if, when he is admitted again, he be alike troublesome, and will not cease to disturb, and to quarrel with his brother, spying faults out of a contentious spirit, cast him out as a pernicious person, that he may not lay waste the church of God. For such a one is a raiser of disturbances in cities; for he, though he be within, doth not become the church, but is a superfluous and vain member, casting a blot, as far as in him lieth, on the body of Christ. For if such men as are born with superfluous members of their body, which hang to them, as fingers, or excrescences of flesh, cut them away from themselves on account of their unseemliness, and nothing that is unseemly cometh any more, the man recovering his natural good shape by means of the surgeon; how much more ought ye, the pastors of the church (for the church is a perfect body and sound members, such as believe God, in the fear of the Lord and in love), to do the like, when there is found in it a superfluous member, with wicked designs, and render ing the rest of the body unseemly, and disturbing it with sedition, and war, and evil speaking; causing fears, disturbances, blots, calumnies, accusations, disorders, and doing the like works of the devil, as if he were ordained by the devil to cast reproach on the church by slanders, and much disorder, and strife, and division!
Such a one, therefore, when he is a second time cast out of the church, is justly cut off entirely from the congregation of the Lord. And now the church will be more beautiful than it was before, when it had a superfluous, and, to itself, a disagreeable member. Wherefore, henceforward it will be free from blame and reproach, and become clear of such wicked, deceitful, abusive, unmerciful, traitorous persons, of such as are haters of those that are good, lovers of pleasure, affecters of vain glory, deceivers, and pretenders to wisdom, such as make it their business to scatter, or rather utterly to disperse, the lambs of the Lord.
Do thou, therefore, Bishop, together with thy subordinate clergy, endeavor rightly to divide the word of truth. For the Lord saith, If ye walk cross-grained to me, I will walk cross-grained to you. And elsewhere, With the holy thou wilt be holy, and with the perfect man thou wilt be perfect, and with the reward thou wilt be rewarded. Proceed, therefore, in a holy manner, that ye may rather appear worthy of praise from the Lord, than, on the contrary, of reproach.
Chapter XLIV – That the Deacon is to ease the burden of the Bishops, and to order the smaller matters himself
Being, therefore, unanimous among yourselves, ye Bishops, be at peace with one another; be sympathetic, and be filled with brotherly love. Feed the people with care; teach, with one consent, those that are under you to be of the same sentiments, and to be of the same opinions, about the same matters, that there may be no schisms among you, that ye may be one body, and one spirit, perfectly joined together in the same mind, and in the same judgment, according to the appointment of the Lord.
And let the Deacon refer all things to the Bishop, as Christ doth to his Father. But let him order such things as he is able by himself, receiving power from the Bishop, as the Lord did from his Father the power of creation and providence. But the weighty matters let the Bishop judge. But let the Deacon be the Bishop’s ear, and eye, and mouth, and heart, and soul, that the Bishop may not be distracted with many cares, but with such only as are more considerable; as Jethro appointed for Moses, and his counsel was received.
Chapter XLV – That contentions and quarrels are unbecoming Christians
It is indeed a beautiful encomium for a Christian to have no contest with anyone. But if, by any management or temptation, a contest arise with anyone, let him endeavor that it may be composed, though thereby he be obliged to lose somewhat; and let it not come before a heathen tribunal. Still further, ye are not to permit that the rulers of this world pass sentence against your people. For by them the devil contriveth mischief to the servants of God, and causeth a reproach to be cast upon us, as though we had not one wise man that is able to judge between his brethren, or to decide their controversies.
Chapter XLVI – That believers ought not to go to law before unbelievers; nor ought any unbeliever to be called for a witness against believers
Let not the heathen, therefore, know of your differences with one another, nor receive ye unbelievers as witnesses against yourselves, nor be judged by them; nor owe them anything on account of imposts or taxes; but, Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and unto God the things that are God’s, as taxes or tribute, or what was levied on every Jew; as our Lord, by giving a piece of money, was freed from disturbance. Choose, therefore, rather to suffer harm, and to endeavor after those things that make for peace, not only among the brethren, but also among the unbelievers. For, by suffering loss in the affairs of this life, thou wilt be sure not to suffer in the concerns of piety, and wilt live religiously, and according to the command of Christ. But if brethren have lawsuits one with another, which God forbid, ye who are the rulers ought thence to learn that such as these perform the work, not of brethren in the Lord, but rather of public enemies; and one of the parties will be found to be mild, gentle, and the child of light; but the other, unmerciful, insolent, and covetous.
He, therefore, who is condemned, let him be punished, let him be separated, let him undergo the punishment of his hatred to his brother. Afterward, when he repenteth, let him be received; and so, when they have learned prudence, they will ease your judicatures. It is also a duty to forgive each other’s trespasses; not the duty of those that judge, but of those that have quarrels; as the Lord determined when I, Peter, asked him, How oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Till seven times? He replied, I say not unto thee, until seven times, but until seventy times seven. For so would our Lord have us to be truly his disciples, and never to have anything against anyone; as, for instance, anger without measure, passion without mercy, covetousness without justice, or hatred without reconciliation. By your instruction draw those who are angry to friendship, and those who are at variance to agreement. For the Lord saith, Blessed are the peace-makers, for they shall be called the children of God.
Chapter XLYII – That the judicatures of Christians ought to be held on the second day of the week
Let your judicatures be held on the second day of the week, that, if any controversy arise about your sentence, having an interval till the Sabbath, ye may be able to set the controversy right, and to bring the contending parties to peace, against the Lord’s day.
Let also the deacons and presbyters be present at your judicatures, to judge without acceptance of persons, as men of God, with righteousness. When, therefore, both the parties are come, according as the Law saith, they shall both stand in the middle of the court; and when ye have heard them, give your votes religiously, endeavoring to make them both friends before the sentence of the Bishop, that judgment against the offender may not go abroad into the world; knowing that he (the Bishop) hath in the court the Christ of God, observing and approving his judgment. But if any persons are accused by anyone, and their fame suffereth, as if they did not walk uprightly in the Lord; in like manner, ye shall hear both parties, the accuser and the accused, but not with prejudice, nor with hearkening to one party only, but with righteousness, as passing a sentence concerning eternal life or death. For, saith God, He shall prosecute that which is right justly. For he that is justly punished and separated by you is rejected from eternal life and glory. He becometh dishonorable among holy men, and one condemned of God.
Chapter XLVIII – That the same punishment is not to be inflicted forevery offence, but different punishments for different offenders
Do not pass the same sentence forevery sin, but one suitable to each crime, distinguishing, with much prudence, all the several sorts of offences, the small and the great. Treat a wicked action after one manner, and a wicked word after another, and a base intention still otherwise. So also in the case of a contumely or a suspicion. And some thou shalt curb by threatenings alone; some thou shalt punish by fines to the poor; some thou shalt mortify with fastings; and others thou shalt separate, according to the greatness of their several crimes. For the Law did not allot the same punishment to every offence, but had a different regard to a sin against God, against the priest, against the temple, or against the sacrifice, from a sin against the king or ruler, or a soldier, or a fellow-subject; and so were the offences different which were against a servant, or a possession, or an irrational creature. And again, sins were differently rated, according as they were against parents and kinsmen, and those differently which were done on purpose, from those that happened involuntarily. Accordingly the punishments were different; as death, either by crucifixion or by stoning; fines, scourgings, or the suffering of the same mischiefs which the criminal had done to others.
Wherefore do ye also allot different penalties to different offences, lest any injustice should happen, and provoke God to indignation. For of what unjust judgment soever ye are the instruments, of the same ye shall receive the reward from God. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged.
Chapter XLIX – What are to be the characters of accusers and witnesses
When, therefore, ye are seated in your tribunal, and the parties are both of them present (for we will not call them brethren, until they receive each other in peace), examine diligently concerning those who appear before you; and first concerning the accuser, whether this be the first person he hath accused, or whether he hath advanced accusations against some others before; and whether this contest and accusation do not arise from some quarrel of the parties; and what is the general conduct of the accuser. Yet, though he be of a good conscience, do not give credit to him alone; for that is contrary to the Law. But let him have others to join in his testimony, and those of the same course of life. As the Law saith, At the, mouth of two or three witnesses everything shall be established.
But why did we say that the life of the witnesses was to be inquired after, of what sort it is? Because it frequently happeneth that two and more testify for mischief, and with joint consent prefer a lie, as did the two elders against Susanna, in Babylon, and sons as transgressors against Naboth, in Samaria, and the multitude of the Jews against our Lord, at Jerusalem, and against Stephen, his first martyr. Let the witnesses, therefore, be meek, free from anger, full of equity, kind, prudent, continent, free from wickedness, faithful, religious; for the testimony of such persons is firm on account of their character, and true on account of their deportment. But as to those of a different character, receive not their testimony, although they seem to agree together in their evidence against the accused. For it is ordained in the Law, Thou shalt not be with a multitude for wickedness. Thou shalt not receive a vain report. Thou shalt not consent with a multitude to pervert judgment.
Ye ought also particularly to know him that is accused, what he is in his course of life and in his deportment, whether he hath a good report as to his life, whether he hath been unblamable, whether he hath been zealous in holiness, whether he is a lover of the widows, a lover of the strangers, a lover of the poor, and a lover of the brethren; whether he is not given to filthy lucre; whether he is not an extravagant person, or a spendthrift; whether he is sober, and free from luxury, or a drunkard, or a glutton; whether he is compassionate and liberal.
Chapter L – That former offences sometimes render subsequent ones credible
For if he hath been before addicted to wicked works, the accusations which are now brought against him will thence, in some measure, appear to be true, unless justice do plainly plead for him. For it may be, that, though he had formerly been an offender, yet that he may not be guilty of this crime of which he is accused. Wherefore, be thoroughly cautious about such circumstances, and so render your sentences, when pronounced against an offender convicted, safe and firm. And if, after his separation, he beg pardon, and fall down before the Bishop, and acknowledge his fault, receive him. But suffer not a false accuser to go unpunished, lest he either calumniate another who liveth virtuously, or encourage some other person to do like himself. On the other hand, indeed, suffer not a person convicted to go off clear, lest another be ensnared in the same crimes. For neither shall a witness of mischiefs be unpunished, nor shall he that offendeth be without censure.
Chapter LI – Against judging without hearing both sides
We said before that judgment ought not to be given upon hearing only one of the parties. For if ye hear one of them when the other is not present, and so cannot make his defence to the accusation brought against him, and rashly give your notes for condemnation, ye will be found guilty of that man’s destruction, and partakers with the false accuser before God, the just Judge. For, As he that holdeth the tail of a dog, so is he that presideth at unjust judgment.
But if ye become imitators of the elders in Babylon, who, when they had borne witness against Susanna, unjustly condemned her to death, ye will become obnoxious to their judgment and condemnation. For the Lord, by Daniel, delivered Susanna from the hand of the ungodly, but condemned to the fire those elders who were guilty of her blood; and he reproacheth you by him, saying, Are ye so foolish, ye children of Israel? Without examination, and without knowing the truth, ye have condemned a daughter of Israel. Return again to the place of judgment; for these men have borne false witness against her.
Chapter LII – The caution observed at heathen tribunals before the condemnation of criminals, affordeth Christians a good example
Consider even the judicatures of this world, by whose power we see murderers, adulterers, wizards, robbers of sepulchres, and thieves, brought to trial; for those that preside, when they have received their accusations from those that brought them, ask the malefactor whether those things are so. And though he acknowledge the crime, they do not presently send him out to punishment, but for several days they make inquiry concerning him, with a full council, and with the veil interposed. And he that is to pass the final decree and suffrage of death against him, lifteth up his hands to the sun, and solemnly amrmeth that he is innocent of the blood of the man. Though they are heathens, and know not the Deity, nor the vengeance which will fall upon men from God, on account of those that are unjustly condemned, yet they avoid such unjust judgments.
Chapter LIII – That Christians ought not to have contentions one with another
But ye who know who our God is, and what are his judgments, how can ye bear to pass an unjust judgment, since your sentence will be immediately known to God? And if ye have judged righteously, ye will be deemed worthy of the recompenses of righteousness, both now and hereafter; but, if unrighteously, ye will partake of the like. We therefore advise you, brethren, rather to deserve commendation from God than rebukes; for the commendation of God is eternal life to men, as is his rebuke everlasting death.
Be ye, therefore, righteous judges, peace-makers, and without anger. For He that is angry without a cause is obnoxious to the judgment. But if it happen, that by anyone’s contrivance ye are angry at any body, Let not the sun go down upon your wrath. For, saith David, Be angry, and sin not; that is, be soon reconciled, lest your wrath continue so long that it turn to a settled hatred, and work sin. For the souls of those that bear a settled hatred are to death, saith Solomon. But our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ saith in the Gospels, If thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath aught against thee, leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift. Now the gift is every one’s eucharistical prayer and thanksgiving. If, therefore, thou hast anything against thy brother, or he hath anything against thee, neither will thy prayers be heard, nor will thy thanksgivings be accepted, by reason of that hidden anger. But it is your duty, brethren, to pray continually; yet, because God heareth not those who are at enmity with their brethren by unjust quarrels, even though they should pray three times an hour, it is our duty to compose all our enmity and bitterness of soul, that we may be able to pray with a pure and unpolluted heart. For the Lord commanded us to love even our enemies, and by no means to hate our friends. And the lawgiver saith, Thou shalt not hate tliy brother in thy mind. Thou shalt certainly reprove thy brother, and not incur sin on his account. Thou shalt not hate an Egyptian, for thou wast a sojourner with him. Thou shalt not hate an Idumaean, for he is thy brother. And David saith, If I have repaid those that requited me evil.
Wherefore, if thou wilt be a Christian, follow the Law of the Lord: Loose every band of wickedness. For the Lord hath given thee authority to remit to thy brother those sins which he hath committed against thee, as far as seventy times seven, that is, four hundred and ninety times. How often, therefore, hast thou remitted to thy brother, that thou art unwilling to do it now? when thou hast heard Jeremiah saying, Do not any of you impute the wickedness of his neighbor in your hearts. But thou rememberest injuries, and keepest enmity, and comest into judgment, and art suspicious of his anger, and thy prayer is hindered.
Nay, if thou hast remitted to thy brother four hundred and ninety times, do thou still multiply thine acts of gentleness more to do good for thine own sake. Although he may not do so, yet do thou endeavor to forgive thy brother for God’s sake, that thou mayest be the son of thy Father who is in heaven; and, when thou prayest, mayest be heard of God.
Chapter LIV – That the Bishops must by their Deacon put the people in mind of the obligation they are under to live peaceably together
Wherefore, Bishops, when ye are to go to prayer, after the lessons, and the psalmody, and the instruction out of the Scriptures, let the Deacon stand nigh you, and with a loud voice say, Let no one have any quarrel against another; let no one come in hypocrisy; that, if there be any controversy found among any of you, they may be affected in conscience, and may pray to God, and be reconciled to their brethren.
For if, upon coming into anyone’s house, we are to say, Peace be to this house, like sons of peace bestowing peace on those who are worthy, as it is written, To them that are nigh, and to them that are far off, whom the Lord knoweth to be his; much more is it incumbent on those that enter into the church of God before all things to pray for the peace of God. But if one pray for it upon others, much more let himself be within the same, as a child of light; for he that hath it not within himself is not fit to bestow it upon others. On which account, before all things, it is our duty to be at peace in our own minds; for he that doth not find any disorder in himself, will not quarrel with another, but will be peaceable, friendly, gathering the Lord’s people, and a fellow-worker with him, in order to increase the number of those that shall be saved in unanimity. For those who contrive enmities, and strifes, and contests, and lawsuits, are wicked, and aliens from God.
Chapter LV – An enumeration of several instances of Divine Providence, and how, in every age from the beginning, God hath invited all men to repentance
For God, being a God of mercy from the beginning, called every generation to repentance, by righteous men and prophets. He instructed those before the flood by Abel, and Shem, and Seth; also by Enos, and by Enoch, that was translated; those at the flood, by Noah; the inhabitants of Sodom, by hospitable Lot; those after the flood, by Melchisedek, and the patriarchs, and Job, the beloved of God; the Egyptians, by Moses; the Israelites, by him, and Joshua, and Caleb, and Phineas, and the rest; those after the Law, by angels and prophets; and the same, by his own incarnation proceeding from the Holy Spirit and from the Virgin; those a little before his bodily appearance, by John, his forerunner; and the same, by the same person after Christ’s birth, saying, Repent ye, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand; those after his passion, by us the twelve apostles, and Paul, the chosen vessel.
We, therefore, who have been accounted worthy of being the witnesses of his appearance, together with James, the brother of our Lord, and the seventy-two disciples, and his seven deacons, have heard from the mouth of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by exact knowledge declare what is the will of God, that good, and accept able, and perfect will, which is made known to us by Jesus; that none should perish, but that all men, with one accord, should believe in him, and send up to him harmonious praise, and thus have ever lasting life.
Chapter LVI – That it is the will of God that men should be of one mind in matters of religion, like the heavenly powers
For this is that which our Lord taught us, when we pray, to say to his Father, Thy will be done, as in heaven, so upon earth; that as the heavenly natures of the incorporeal powers do all glorify God with one consent, so also upon earth, all men, with one mouth and one purpose, may glorify the only, the one and true God, by Christ, his only-begotten.
It is therefore his will that men should praise him with unanimity, and adore him with one consent. For this is his will in Christ, that those who are saved by him may be many; but that ye do not occasion any loss or diminution to him, nor to the church, nor lessen the number by one soul of man, as destroyed by you, which might have been saved by repentance; and which, therefore, perisheth not only by its own sin, but also by your treachery, whereby ye fulfil that which is written, He that gathereth not with me scattereth.
Such a one is a disperser of the sheep, an adversary, an enemy of God, a destroyer of those lambs whose shepherd was the Lord; and we were the collectors out of various nations and tongues, by much pains and danger, and perpetual labor, by watchings, by fastings, by lyings on the ground, by persecutions, by stripes, by imprisonments, that we might do the will of God, and fill the feast-chamber with guests to sit down at his table, that is, the holy catholic church, with joyful and chosen people, singing hymns and praises to God, who hath called them by us to life. And ye, as much as in you lieth, have dispersed them.
Moreover, do ye also of the laity be at peace with one another; endeavoring, like wise men, to increase the church, and to turn back, and tame, and restore those who seem wild. For this is the greatest reward by his promise from God, If thou fetch out the worthy and precious from the unworthy, thou shalt be as my mouth.
Chapter LVII – An exact description of a church, and the clergy; and what things particular everyone is to do in the solemn assemblies of the clergy and laity for religious worship
But be thou, Bishop, holy, unblamable, no striker, not soon angry, not cruel; but one that buildeth up, a converter, apt to teach, firm in enduring evil, of a gentle mind, meek, long-suffering, ready to exhort, ready to comfort, as a man of God.
When thou callest an assembly of the church, as one that is the commander of a great ship, appoint the assemblies to be made with all possible skill; charging the Deacons, as mariners, to prepare places for the brethren, as for passengers, with all due care and decorum.
And first, indeed, let the building be long, with its head to the east, with its vestries on both sides at the east end; and so it will be like a ship. In the middle let the Bishop’s throne be placed; and on each side of him let the Presbytery sit down; and let the Deacons stand near at hand, in close and small girt garments; for they are like the mariners and managers of the ship. Through the care of these, let the laity sit in the other part, with all quietness and good order; and let the women sit by themselves, keep ing silence. In the middle let the Reader stand upon some high place. Let him read the books of Moses, of Joshua the son of Nun, of the Judges, and of the Kings, and of the Chronicles, and those written after the return from the captivity; and besides these, the books of Job and of Solomon, and of the sixteen prophets. But when there have been two lessons severally read, let some other person sing the hymns of David, and let the people join at the conclusions of the verses. Afterwards, let our Acts be read, and the Epistles of Paul, our fellow-worker, which he sent to the churches under the guidance of the Holy Spirit; and afterwards let a Deacon or a Presbyter read the Gospels, both those which I, Matthew, and John have delivered to you, and those which Luke and Mark, the fellow-workers of Paul, received and left to you.
And while the Gospel is read, let all the presbyters and deacons, and all the people, stand up in great silence; for it is written, Be silent and hear, Israel. And again, But do Thou stand there and hear.
In the next place, let the Presbyters, one by one, not all together, exhort the people, and the Bishop in the last place, as being the commander.
Let the Porters stand at the entries of the men, and observe them. Let the Deaconesses also stand at those of the women, like ship-men. For the same description and pattern was both in the tabernacle of the testimony and in the temple of God. But if anyone be found sitting out of his place, let him be rebuked by the Deacon, as a messenger of the fore-ship, and be removed into the place proper for him. For the church is not only like a ship, but also like a sheep-fold; for as the shepherds place all the irrational animals distinctly, I mean goats and sheep, according to their kind and age; and still every one runneth together, like to his like; so is it to be in the church. Let the young persons sit by themselves, if there be a place for them; if not, let them stand up. But let those who are already stricken in years sit in order. As to the children that stand, let their fathers and mothers take them to themselves. Let the younger women also sit by themselves, if there be a place for them; but, if there be not, let them stand behind the women. Let those women who are married, and have children, be placed by themselves. But let the virgins, and the widows, and the elder women, stand first of all, or sit; and let the Deacon be the disposer of the places, that every one of those that come in may go to his proper place, and may not sit at the entrance. In like manner let the Deacon oversee the people, that no one may whisper, nor slumber, nor laugh, nor nod. For in the church all ought to stand wisely, and soberly, and attentively, having their attention fixed upon the word of the Lord.
After this, let all rise up with one consent, and, looking towards the east, after the catechumens and the penitents are gone out, pray to God eastward, who ascended up to the heaven of heavens to the east; remembering also the ancient situation of paradise in the east, whence the first man, when he had yielded to the persuasion of the serpent, and disobeyed the command of God, was expelled.
As to the Deacons, after the prayer is over, let some of them attend upon the oblation of the Eucharist, ministering to the Lord’s body. Let others of them watch the multitude, and keep them silent. But let that Deacon who is at the High Priest’s hand, say to the people, Let no one have any quarrel against another. Let no one come in hypocrisy. Then let the men give the men, and the women give the women, the Lord’s kiss. But let no one do it with deceit, as Judas betrayed the Lord with a kiss.
After this let the Deacon pray for the whole church, for the whole world, and the several parts of it, and the fruits of it; for the priests and the rulers, for the high priest and the king, and for universal peace. After this, let the High Priest pray for peace upon the people, and bless them in these words: The Lord bless thee, and keep thee; the Lord make his face to shine upon thee, and give thee peace. Let the Bishop pray for the people, and say, Save thy people, Lord, and bless thine inheritance, which thou hast obtained with the precious blood of thy Christ, and hast called a royal priesthood and a holy nation.
Then let the sacrifice follow, all the people standing, and praying silently; and, when the oblation hath been made, let every rank by itself partake of the Lord’s body and precious blood, in order, and approach with reverence and holy fear, as to the body of their King. Let the women approach with their heads covered, as is becoming the order of women. Moreover, let the door be watched, lest there come in any unbeliever, or one not yet initiated.
Chapter LVIII – Of commendatory letters in favor of strangers, lay persons, clergymen, and Bishops; and that those who come into the church assemblies are to be received without regard to their quality
If anyone, a brother or a sister, come in from another parish, bringing recommendatory letters, let the Deacon be the judge of that affair, inquiring whether they are of the faithful, and of the church; whether they are not denied by heresy; and, besides, whether the sister is a married woman or a widow. And when he is satisfied in these questions, that they are really of the faithful, and of the same sentiments in the things of the Lord, let him conduct every one to the place proper for him. And if a Presbyter come from another parish, let him be received to communion by the Presbyters; if a Deacon, by the Deacons; if a Bishop, let him sit with the Bishop, and be allowed the same honor with himself. And thou, Bishop, shalt desire him to speak to the people words of instruction; for the exhortation and admonition of strangers is very acceptable, and exceedingly profitable. For, as the Scripture saith, No prophet is accepted in his own country. Thou shalt also permit him to offer the Eucharist. But if, out of reverence to thee, and as a wise man, to preserve the honor belonging to thee, he will not offer, at least thou shalt compel him to give the blessing to the people.
But if, after the congregation are seated, any other person come upon you, of good fashion and character in the world, whether he be a stranger, or one of your own country, neither do thou, Bishop, if thou art speaking the word of God, or hearing him that singeth, or that readeth, accept persons so far as to leave the ministry of the word, that thou mayest appoint an upper place for him; but continue quiet, not interrupting thy discourse nor thine attention; but let the brethren receive him by the Deacons. And if there be not a place, let the Deacon, by speaking, but not in anger, cause some younger person to rise, and place the stranger there. And it is but reasonable that one who loveth the brethren should do so of his own accord: but, if he refuse, let him raise him up by force, and set him behind all; that the rest may be taught to give place to those who are more honorable. Nay, if a poor man, or one of a low family, or a stranger, come upon you, whether he be old or young, and there be no place, the Deacon shall find a place even for these, with all his heart; that, instead of accepting persons before men, his ministration may be well pleasing to God. The very same thing let the Deaconess do for those women that come, whether they be poor or rich.
Chapter LIX – That every Christian ought to frequent the church diligently, both morning and evening
When thou instructest the people, Bishop, command and exhort them to come constantly to church, morning and evening, every day, and by no means to forsake it on any account, but to assemble together continually; nor to diminish the church by withdrawing themselves, and causing the body of Christ to be without its members. For it is spoken not only concerning the priests, but let every one of the laity hearken to it, as concerning himself; considering that it is said by the Lord, He that is not with me is against me, and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad. Do not ye, therefore, scatter yourselves abroad, who are the members of Christ, by not assembling together; since, according to his promise, ye have Christ, your Head, present, and communicating to you. Be not careless of yourselves, nor deprive your Saviour of his own members, nor divide his body, nor disperse his members, nor prefer the occasions of this life to the Word of God; but assemble yourselves together every day, morning and evening, singing psalms, and praying in the Lord’s house, in the morning saying the sixty-second psalm, and in the evening the hundred and fortieth; but principally on the Sabbath-day, and on the day of our Lord’s resurrection, which is the Lord’s day, meet more diligently, sending up praise to God that made the universe by Jesus, and sent him to us, and condescended to let him suffer, and raised him from the dead. Otherwise what apology to God will he make, who doth not assemble on that day to hear the saving word concerning the resurrection? On which day we pray thrice, standing, in memory of him who arose in three days; and on which are the reading of the prophets, the preaching of the gospel, the oblation of the sacrifice, and the gift of the holy food.
Chapter LX – The vain zeal which the Heathen and the Jews show, in frequenting their temples and synagogues, is a proper example and motive to excite Christians to frequent the church
What, moreover, but an adversary to God can he be who taketh pains about temporary things night and day, but taketh no care of things eternal? Who taketh care of washings and temporary food every day, but doth not take care of interests that endure forever? How can such a one, even now, avoid hearing that word of the Lord, The Gentiles are justified more than you, as he saith by way of reproach to Jerusalem, Sodom is justified rather than thou. For if the Gentiles every day, when they arise from sleep, run to their idols to worship them, and first of all pray to them, before all their work and all their labors; and in their feasts and in their solemnities do not keep away, but attend upon them; and not only those at the place, but those living far distant, do the same; and in their public shows all come together, as into a synagogue; in the same manner, those who are vainly called Jews, resting from work after every period of six days, come together into their synagogue on the seventh day, never leaving nor neglecting either rest from labor or assembling together; while yet they are deprived of the efficacy of the word in their unbelief; nay, and of the force of that name Judah, by which they call themselves; for Judah is interpreted confession; but these, having un justly occasioned the suffering on the cross, do not confess to God, so as to be saved on their repentance; if, therefore, those who are not saved frequently assemble together for such purposes as do not profit them, what apology to the Lord God wilt thou make, who forsakest his church, not imitating so much as the heathen, but by thine absence growest slothful, or turnest apostate, or committest iniquity? To whom the Lord saith by Jeremiah, Ye have not kept mine ordinances; nay, ye have not walked according to the ordinances of the heathen, and ye have in a manner exceeded them. And again, Israel hath justified his soul more than treacherous Judah. And afterwards, Will the Gentiles change their gods, which are not gods? Wherefore pass over to the isles of Chittim, and behold, and send to Kedar, and observe diligently whether such, things have been done. For those nations have not changed their ordinances. But, saith he, my people have changed its glory for that which will not profit.
How, therefore, will anyone make his apology, who hath despised or absented himself from the church of God?
Chapter LXI – That we must not prefer the affairs of this life to those which concern the worship of God
But if anyone bring forward the pretence of his own work, and so is a despiser, offering pretences for his sins, let such a one know that the trades of the faithful are works by the by; but the worship of God is their great work. Follow, therefore, your trades, as by the by, for your maintenance, but make the worship of God your main business; as also our Lord said, Labor not for the meat which perisheth, but for that which endureth unto everlasting life. And, again, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.
Endeavor, therefore, never to forsake the church of God. But, if anyone neglect it, and go either into a polluted temple of the heathen, or into a synagogue of the Jews, or of the heretics, what apology will such a one make in the day of judgment, who hath forsaken the oracles of the living God, that are living and quickening, and able to deliver from eternal punishment, and hath gone into a house of demons, or into a synagogue of the murderers of Christ, or the congregation of the wicked? not hearkening to him that saith, I have hated the congregation of the wicked, and I will not enter with the ungodly. I have not sat with the assembly of vanity, nor will I sit with the ungodly. And again, Blessed is the man that hath not walked in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stood in the way of sinners, and hath not sat in the seat of the scornful; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in his law will he meditate day and night. But thou, forsaking the gathering together of the faithful, the church of God, and his laws, hast respect to those dens of thieves, calling those things holy which he hath called profane, and making those things unclean which he hath sanctified. And not only so, but thou already runnest after the pomps of the Gentiles, and hastenest to their theatres, being desirous to be reckoned one of those that enter into them, and to partake of unseemly, not to say abominable words; not hearkening to Jeremiah, who saith, Lord, I have not sat in their assemblies, for they are scorners; but I was afraid, because of thy hand; nor to Job, who speaketh in like manner, if I have gone at any time with the scornful; for I shall be weighed in a just balance. But why wilt thou be a partaker of the heathen oracles, which are nothing but dead men, declaring, by the inspiration of the devil, deadly things, and such as tend to subvert the faith, and to draw to polytheism those that attend to them?
Do ye, therefore, who attend to the laws of God, esteem those laws more honorable than the necessities of life, and pay a greater respect to them, and run together to the church of the Lord. which he hath purchased with the blood of Christ, the beloved, the first-born of every creature. For this church is the daughter of the Highest, which hath been in travail of you by the word of grace, and hath formed Christ in you; of whom ye are made partakers. and thereby become his holy and chosen members, not having spot or wrinkle, or any such thing; but as being holy and unspotted in the faith, ye are complete in him, after the image of God that created you.
Chapter LXII – That Christians must abstain from all the impious practices of the heathen
Take heed, therefore, not to join yourselves in your worship with those that perish, which is the assembly of the Gentiles, to your deceit and destruction. For there is no fellowship between God and the devil. For he that assemble th himself with those that savor the things of the devil, will be esteemed one of them, and will inherit a woe.
Avoid also unbecoming spectacles, I mean the theatres and the pomps of the heathen, their enchantments, observations of omens, soothsayings, purifications, divinations, observations of birds, their necromancies, and invocations. For it is written, There is no divination in Jacob, nor soothsaying in Israel. And again, Divination is iniquity. And elsewhere, Ye shall not be soothsayers, and follow observers of omens, nor diviners, nor dealers with familiar spirits. Ye shall not preserve alive wizards. Wherefore Jeremiah exhorteth, saying, Walk ye not according to the ways of the heathen, and be not afraid of the signs of heaven. So that it is the duty of a believer to avoid the assemblies of the impious heathen and Jews, and of the rest of the heretics, lest, by uniting ourselves to them, we bring snares upon our own souls; that we may not, by joining in their feasts, which are celebrated in honor of demons, be partakers with them in their impiety. Ye are also to avoid their public meetings, and those sports which are celebrated in them. For a believer ought not to go to any of those public meetings, unless to purchase a slave, and save a soul; and at the same time to buy such other things as suit our necessities.
Abstain, therefore, from all idolatrous pomp and display, the festival assembly, competitions, duels, and all shows belonging to demons.
Chapter LXIII – That no Christian who will not work must eat; as Peter and the rest of the apostles were fishermen; Paul and Aquila, tent-makers; and Jude, the son of James, a husbandman
Let the young persons of the church endeavor to minister diligently in all necessaries. Attend to your business with all becoming seriousness, that so ye may always have sufficient to support yourselves, and those that are needy, and not burden the church of God. For we ourselves, besides our attention to the word of the Gospel, do not neglect our inferior employments; for some of us are fishermen, some tent-makers, some husbandmen, that so we may never be idle. So saith Solomon somewhere, Go to the ant, thou sluggard, and consider her ways diligently, and become wiser than she. For she, having neither field, overseer, nor ruler , prepareth her food in the summer, and layeth up a great store in the harvest. Or else go to the bee, and learn how laborious she is, and her work how valuable it is, whose labors both kings and private men make use of for their health. She is desirable and glorious: though she be weak in strength, yet, by honoring wisdom, she is improved. How long wilt thou lie on thy bed, sluggard? When wilt thou awake out of thy sleep? Thou sleepest a while, thou liest down a while, thou slumberest a while, thou foldest thy hands on thy breast to sleep a while. Then poverty cometh on thee like an evil traveller, and want as a swift racer. But if thou be diligent, thy harvest shall come as a fountain; and want, as a bad man, shall fly from thee. And again, He that manageth his own land shall be filled with bread. And elsewhere he saith, The slothful hath folded his hands together, and hath eaten his own flesh. And afterwards, The sluggard hideth his hand; he will not be a Wasp to bring it to his mouth. And again, By slothfulness of the hands a fool will be brought low.
Labor, therefore, continually; for the lot of the slothful is not to be healed. But if anyone do not work, let him not eat among you. For the Lord our God hateth the slothful, and no one of those who worship him ought to be idle.
End of book II
BOOK III – Concerning Widows
Chapter I – That those who are chosen widows ought to be not under sixty years of age
Choose your widows not under sixty years of age, that in some measure the suspicion of a second marriage may be prevented by their age. But if ye admit one younger into the order of widows, and she cannot bear her widowhood in her youth, and marrieth, she will procure indecent reflections on the glory of the order of the widows, and shall give an account to God; not because she married a second time, but because she hath waxed wanton against Christ, and not kept her promise. Wherefore, such a promise ought not to be rashly made, but with great caution. For it is better for her not to vow, than to vow and not to pay. But if any younger woman, who hath lived only a little while with her husband, and hath lost him by death, or some other occasion, remain by herself, having the gift of widowhood, she will be found to be blessed, and to be like the widow of Serepta, belonging to Sidon, with whom the holy prophet of God, Elijah, was entertained as a guest. Such a one may also be compared to Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Aser, who departed not from the temple, but continued in supplications and prayers, night and day; who was fourscore years old, and had lived with a husband seven years from her virginity; who glorified the coming of Christ, and gave thanks to the Lord, and spake concerning him to all those who looked for redemption in Israel. Such a widow will have a good report, and will be honored, having both glory with men upon earth, and eternal praise with God in heaven.
Chapter II – That we must avoid the choice of younger widows, because of suspicion
But let not the younger widows be placed in the order of widows, lest, under pretence of inability to be continent in the flower of their age, they accede to a second marriage, and become embarrassed. But let them be assisted and supported, that so they may not, under pretence of being deserted, come to a second marriage, and so be ensnared in an unseemly embarrassment. For ye ought to know this, that once marrying according to the law, is righteous, as being according to the will of God; but second marriages, after the promise, are wicked; not on account of the marriage itself, but be cause of the falsehood. Third marriages are indications of incontinency. But such marriages as are beyond the third, are manifest fornication and unquestionable uncleanness. For God, in the creation, gave one woman to one man; for they two shall be one flesh.
But to the younger women let a second marriage be allowed, after the death of their first husband, lest they fall into the condemnation of the devil, and many snares, and foolish lusts, which are hurtful to souls, and which bring upon them punishment rather than rest.
Chapter III – Of what character the widows ought to be, and how they ought to be supported by the Bishop
But the true widows are those who have had only one husband, having a good report among the generality for good works; widows indeed, sober, chaste, faithful, pious, who have brought up their children well, and have entertained strangers unblamably; who are to be supported, as devoted to God.
Besides, do thou, Bishop, be mindful of the needy, both reaching out thy helping hand, and making provision for them, as the steward of God, distributing seasonably the oblations to every one of them, to the widows, the orphans, the friendless, and those who are tried with affliction.
Chapter IV – That we ought to be charitable to all sorts of persons in want
For what if some are neither widows nor widowers, but stand in need of assistance, either through poverty, or some disease, or the maintenance of a great number of children? It is thy duty to oversee all people, and to take care of them all. For they that bestow gifts do not immediately, and without the use of discretion, give them to the widows, but barely bring them in, calling them free-will offerings, that so thou, who knowest those that are in affliction, mayest, as a good steward, give them their portion of the gift.
For God knoweth the giver, though thou distributest it to those in want, when he is absent. And he hath the reward of well-doing, but thou the blessedness of a just distribution of it. But do thou tell them who was the giver, that they may pray for him by name. For it is our duty to do good to all men, not fondly preferring one or another, whoever they may be. For the Lord saith, Give to every one that asketh thee. It is evident that it is meant of every one that is really in want, whether he be friend or foe, whether he be a kinsman or a stranger, whether he be single or married.
For in all the Scripture the Lord giveth us exhortations in respect to the needy, saying, first by Isaiah, Deal thy bread to the hungry, and bring the poor who have no covering into thy house. If thou seest the naked, do thou cover him; and thou shalt not overlook those who are of thine own family and seed. And then by Daniel he saith to the potentate, Wherefore, king, let my connsel please thee, and purge thy sins by acts of mercy, and thine iniquities by bowels of compassion to the needy. And he saith by Solomon, By acts of mercy and of faith, iniquities are purged.
And he saith again by David, Blessed is he that hath regard to the poor and needy; the Lord shall deliver him in the evil day. And again, He hath dispersed abroad; he hath given to the needy; his righteousness remaineth forever. And Solomon saith, He that hath mercy on the poor lendeth to the Lord; according to his gift it shall be paid him again. And afterwards, He that stoppeth his ear, that he may not hear him that is in want, he also himself shall call, and there shall be none to hear him.
Chapter V – That the widows are to be very careful of their deportment
Let every widow be meek, quiet, gentle, sincere, free from anger; not talkative, not clamorous, not hasty of speech, not given to evil-speaking, not captious, not double-tongued, not a busy-body. If she see or hear anything that is not right, let her be as one that doth not see, and as one that doth not hear; and let the widow mind nothing but to pray for those that give, and for the whole church; and when she is asked anything by anyone, let her not easily answer, except questions concerning faith, and righteousness, and hope in God; remitting to the rulers those that desire to be instructed in the doctrines of godliness. Let her answer only so as may tend to subvert the error of polytheism, and demonstrate the doctrine concerning the monarchy of God. But of the remaining doctrines, let her not answer anything rashly, lest, by saying anything unlearnedly, she should cause the Word to be blasphemed.
For the Lord hath taught us, that the Word is like a grain of mustard seed, which is of a fiery nature; and, if anyone useth it unskilfully, he will find it bitter. For in the mystical points we ought not to be rash, but cautious. For the Lord exhorteth us, saying, Cast not your pearls before swine, lest they trample them with their feet, and turn again and rend you. For unbelievers, when they hear the doctrine concerning Christ not explained as it ought to be, but defectively, and especially that concerning his incarnation or his passion, will rather reject it with scorn, and laugh at it as false, than praise God for it. And so the aged women will be guilty of rashness, and of causing blasphemy, and will inherit a woe – For, saith he, Woe to him by whom my name is blasphemed among the gentiles.
Chapter VI – That women ought not to teach, because it is unseemly; and what women followed our Lord
We do not permit our women to teach in the church, but only to pray, and to hear those that teach. For our Master and Lord, Jesus Christ himself, when he sent us, the twelve, to make disciples of the people and of the nations, did nowhere send out women to preach, although he did not want such: for there were with us the mother of our Lord, and his sisters; also Mary Magdalen; and Mary, the mother of James; and Martha and Mary, the sisters of Lazarus; Salome, and certain others. For, had it been necessary for women to teach, he himself would have first commanded these also to instruct the people with us. For, if the head of the wife be the man, it is not reasonable that the rest of the body should govern the head.
Let the widow, therefore, own herself to be the altar of God, and let her sit in her house, and not enter into the houses of the faithful, under any pretence, to receive anything; for the altar of God never runneth about, but is fixed in one place. Let, therefore, the virgin and the widow be such as do not run about, or gad to the houses of those who are alien from the faith. For such as these are gadders and impudent; they do not make their feet to rest in one place, because they are not widows, but purses ready to receive, triflers, evil speakers, counsellors of strife, without shame, impudent; who, being such, are not worthy of him that called them. For they do not come to the common resting place of the congregation on the Lord’s day, as those that are watchful. But they either slumber, or trifle, or allure men, or beg, or ensnare others, bringing them to the evil one; not suffering them to be watchful in the Lord; but taking care that they go out as vain as they came in, because they do not hear the Word of the Lord either taught or read. For of such as these the prophet Isaiah saith, Hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand, and seeing ye shall see, and not perceive; for the heart of this people is waxen gross.
Chapter VII – What are the characters of widows, falsely so called
In the same manner, therefore, the ears of the hearts of such widows as these are stopped, so that they will not sit within in their cottages to speak to the Lord, but will run about with the design of getting, and, by their foolish prattling, fulfil the desires of the adversary. Such widows, therefore, are not affixed to the altar of Christ.
For there are some widows who esteem gain in their business; and. since they ask without shame, and receive without being satisfied, they render the generality more backward in giving. For when they ought to be content with their subsistence from the church, as having moderate desires; on the contrary, they run from the house of one of their neighbors to that of another, and disturb them, heaping up to themselves plenty of money, and lend at bitter usury; and are solicitous only about Mammon, whose bag is their god; who prefer eating and drinking before all virtue, saying, Let us eat and drink, for to-morrow we die; who esteem these things as if they were durable, and not transitory. For she that useth herself to nothing but talking of money, worshipped Mammon instead of God; that is, she is a servant to gain, but cannot be pleasing to God, nor resigned to his worship; not being able to intercede with him, because her mind and disposition run after money; for where the treasure is, there will the heart be also. For she is thinking in her mind whither she may go to receive, or that a certain woman, her friend, hath forgotten her, and she hath somewhat to say to her. She that thinketh of such things as these will no longer attend to her prayers, but to that thought which offereth itself; so that, although sometimes she may wish to pray for someone, she will not be heard, because she doth not offer her petition to the Lord with the whole heart.
But she that will attend to God will sit within, and mind the things of the Lord, day and night, offering her sincere petition with a mouth ready to utter the same without ceasing. As, therefore, Judith, most famous for her wisdom, and of a good report for her modesty, prayed to God night and day for Israel; so also the widow who is like her, will offer her intercession, without ceasing, for the church of God; and he will hear her, because her mind is fixed on this thing alone, and is disposed to be neither insatiable nor expensive; when her eye is pure, and her hearing clean, and her hands undefiled, and her feet quiet, and her mouth prepared for neither gluttony nor trifling, but speaking the things that are fit, and partaking of only such things as are necessary for her maintenance. So being grave, and giving no disturbance, she will be pleasing to God; and, as soon as she asketh anything, the gift will anticipate her; as he saith, While thou art speaking, I will say, Behold I am here. Let such a one also be free from the love of money, free from arrogance, not given to filthy lucre, not insatiable nor gluttonous; but continent, meek, giving nobody disturbance, pious, modest, sitting at home, singing, and praying, and reading, and watching, and fasting; speaking to God continually in songs and hymns. And let her take wool, and assist others, rather than herself be in need of anything; being mindful of that widow who is honored with the Lord’s testimony, who, coming into the temple, cast into the treasury two mites, which make a farthing. And Christ our Lord and Master, and Searcher of hearts, saw her, and said, Verily I say unto you, that this widow hath cast into the treasury more than they all. For all they have cast in of their abundance; but this woman of her penury hath cast in all the living that she had.
The widows, therefore, ought to be grave, obedient to their Bishops, and their Presbyters, and their Deacons, and besides these to the Deaconesses, with piety, reverence, and fear; not usurping authority, nor desiring to do anything beyond the constitution, without the consent of the Deacon; as suppose the going to anyone to eat or drink with him, or to receive anything from any body; but, if without direction she do anyone of these things, let her be punished with fasting, or else let her be separated on account of her rashness.
Chapter VIII – That a widow ought not to accept of alms from the unworthy; nor ought a Bishop , nor any other of the faithful
For how doth such a one know of what character the person is from whom she receiveth; or from what sort of ministration he supplieth her with food, whether it doth not arise from rapine, or some other ill course of life, while the widow is unmindful, that, if she receive in a way unworthy of God, she must give an account forevery one of these things. For neither will the priests at any time receive a free-will offering from such a one, as suppose from a rapacious person, or from a harlot. For it is written, Thou shalt not covet those things that are thy neighbor’s; and, Thou shalt not offer the hire of a harlot to the Lord God. From such as these no offerings ought to be accepted, nor indeed from those that are separated from the church.
Let the widows also be ready to obey the commands given them by their superiors, and let them do according to the appointment of the Bishop, being obedient to him as to God. For he that receiveth from one so deserving of blame, or from one excommunicated, and prayeth for him while he purposeth to go on in a wicked course, and while he is not willing at any time to repent, holdeth communion with him in prayer, and grieveth Christ, who rejecteth the unrighteous; and he confirmeth them by means of the unworthy gift, and is denied with them, not suffering them to come to repentance, so as to fall down before God with lamentation, and pray to him.
Chapter IX – That women ought not to baptize; because it is impious , and contrary to the doctrine of Christ
Now as to women’s baptizing, we let you know, that there is no small peril to those that undertake it. Therefore we do not advise you to do it; for it is dangerous, or, rather, wicked and impious. For if the man be the head of the woman, and he be originally ordained for the priesthood, it is not just to abrogate the order of the creation, and, leaving the ruler, to come to the subordinate body. For the woman is the body of the man, taken from his side, and subject to him, from whom also she was separated for the procreation of children. For the Scripture saith, He shall ride over thee. For the man is ruler of the woman, as being her head. But if in the foregoing Constitutions we have not permitted them to teach, how will anyone allow them, contrary to nature, to perform the office of a priest? For this is one of the ignorant practices of the Gentile atheism, to ordain women priests to the female deities; not one of the constitutions of Christ.
But, if baptism were to be administered by women, certainly our Lord would have been baptized by his own mother, and not by John; or, when he sent us to baptize, he would have sent along with us women also for this purpose. But now he hath nowhere, either by constitution or by writing, delivered to us any such thing; as knowing the order of nature and the decency of the action; as being the Creator of nature, and the Legislator of the constitution.
Chapter X – That a Layman ought not to perform a priestly work, baptism, or sacrifice, or laying on of hands, or blessing
Nor do we permit the laity to perform any of the offices belonging to the priesthood; as, for instance, neither the sacrifice, nor baptism, nor the laying on of hands, nor the blessing, whether the himself, but he that is called of God. For such sacred offices are conferred by the laying on of the hands of the Bishop. But a person to whom such an office is not committed, but who seizeth upon it for himself, shall undergo the punishment of Uzziah.
Chapter XI – That none but a Bishop or a Presbyter , none even of the inferior ranks of the clergy, are permitted to do the offices of the Priests; that ordination belongeth wholly to the Bishop, and to no other person
Nay farther, we do not permit to the rest of the clergy to baptize; as, for instance, either to Readers, or Singers, or Porters, or Ministers, but only to the Bishops and Presbyters; yet so that the Deacons are to minister to them therein. But those who venture upon it shall undergo the punishment of the companions of Corah. We do not permit Presbyters, but only Bishops, to ordain Deacons, or Deaconesses, or Readers, or Servants, or Singers, or Porters. For this is the ecclesiastical order and harmony.
Chapter XII – The rejection of all uncharitable actions
Now concerning envy, or passion, or evil speaking, or strife, or the love of contention, we have already said to you, that these are alien from a Christian, and chiefly in the case of widows. But because the devil, who worketh in men, is in his conduct cunning, and full of various devices, he goeth to those that are not truly widows, as formerly to Cain; for some say they are widows, but do not perform the injunctions agreeable to the widowhood; as neither did Cain discharge the duties due to a brother. For they do not consider that it is not the name of widowhood that will bring them to the kingdom of God, but true faith and holy works.
But if anyone possesseth the name of widowhood, but performeth the works of the adversary, her widowhood will not be imputed; but she will be thrust out of the kingdom, and delivered to eternal punishment. For we hear that some widows are jealous, envious, calumniators, cavilling at the comforts of others. Such widows as these are not the disciples of Christ, nor of his doctrine. For it becometh them, when one of their fellow-widows is clothed by anyone, or receiveth money, or food, or drink, or shoes, at the sight of the refreshment of their sister, to say
Chapter XIII – How the widows are to pray for those who supply their necessities
Thou art blessed, God, who hast refreshed my fellow-widow. Bless, Lord, and glorify him who hath bestowed these things upon her; and let his good work ascend in truth to thee; and remember him for good in the day of his visitation. And as for my Bishop, who hath so well performed his duty to thee, and hath ordered such a reasonable alms to be bestowed on my fellow-widow, in need of clothing, do thou increase his glory, and give him a crown of rejoicing in the day when thy visitation shall be revealed.
In the same manner, let the widow who hath received the favor join with the other in praying for him who bestowed it.
Chapter XIV – That she who hath been kind to the poor ought not to boast, and tell abroad her name, according to the constitution of the Lord
But if any woman hath done a kindness, let her, as a prudent person, conceal her own name, not sounding a trumpet before her, that her alms may be with God in secret, as the Lord saith, When thou doest thine alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth, that thine alms may be in secret. And let the widow pray for him that gave her the alms, whosoever he be, as she is the holy altar of Christ; and the Father, who seeth in secret, will reward openly him that did good.
But those widows who will not live according to the command of God, are solicitous and inquisitive what Deaconess it is that hath administered the charity, and what widows have received it. And when such a one hath learned those things, she murmureth at the Deaconess who distributed the charity, saying, Dost not thou see that I am in more distress and in greater want of thy charity? Why, therefore, hast thou preferred her before me? She saith these things foolishly, not understanding that this doth not depend on the will of man, but on the appointment of God. For if she is herself a witness that she was nearer, and proved herself in greater want and more in need of clothing, than the other, she ought to understand who it is that made this constitution, and to hold her peace, and not to murmur at the Deaconess who distributed the charity, but to enter into her own house, and to cast herself prostrate on her face, to make supplication to God that her sin may be forgiven her. For God commanded her who did the kindness not to proclaim it; and this widow murmured, because proclamation was not made, so that she might know, and run to receive; nay, did not only murmur, but also cursed her, forgetting him that said, He that blesseth thee is blessed, and he that curseth thee is cursed. But the Lord saith, When ye enter into a house, say, Peace be to this house; and if the son of peace be there, your peace shall rest upon it. But if it be not worthy, your peace shall return to you.
Chapter XV – That it doth not become us to revile our neighbors, because cursing is
contrary to Christianity
If, therefore, peace returneth upon those that sent it, nay, upon those that before had actually given it, because it did not find persons fit to receive it, much rather will a curse return upon the head of him that unjustly sent it, because he to whom it was sent was not worthy to receive it. For all those who abuse others without cause, curse themselves; as Solomon saith, As birds and sparrows fly away, so the curse causeless shall not come upon anyone. And again he saith, Those that bring reproaches are exceeding foolish. But as the bee, a creature as to its strength feeble, if she stingeth anyone, loseth her sting, and becometh a drone; in the same manner, ye also, whatsoever injustice I do to others, will bring it upon yourselves. He hath excavated and digged a pit; and he shall fall into the ditch that he hath made. And again, He that diggeth a pit for his neighbor shall fall into it. Let him, therefore, who would avoid a curse, not curse another. For what thou hatest should be done to thee, do not thou to another.
Wherefore admonish the widows that are feeble-minded, strengthen those of them that are weak, and praise such of them as walk in holiness. Let them rather bless, and not calumniate. Let them make peace, and not stir up contention. Nor let a Bishop, nor a Presbyter, nor a Deacon, nor anyone else of the sacerdotal catalogue, defile his tongue with calumny, lest he inherit a curse instead of a blessing. And let it also be the Bishop’s business and care, that no lay person utter a curse . For he ought to take care of the Clergy, of the Virgins, of the Widows, of the Laity.
For which reason, Bishop, do thou ordain thy fellow-workers, the laborers for life and for righteousness, such Deacons as are pleasing to God, such as thou provest to be worthy among all the people, and such as shall be ready for the necessities of their ministration. Ordain also a Deaconess, who is faithful and holy, for the ministrations to the women. For sometimes thou canst not send a Deacon, who is a man, to the women in certain houses, on account of the unbelievers. Thou shalt therefore send a woman, a Deaconess, on account of the imaginations of the bad.
And we stand in need of a woman, a Deaconess, for many occasions; and first in the baptism of women, the Deacon shall anoint their forehead with the holy oil, and after him the Deaconess shall anoint them. For there is no necessity that the women should be seen by the men; but only, in the laying on of hands, the Bishop shall anoint her head, as the priests and kings were formerly anointed, not because those who are now baptized are ordained priests, but as being Christians, or anointed, from Christ the Anointed; a royal priesthood and a holy nation; the church of God, the pillar and ground of the present light; who formerly were not a people, but now are beloved and chosen; upon whom is called his new name, as Isaiah the prophet testifieth, And they shall call the people by his new name, which the Lord shall name for them.
Chapter XVI – Concerning the divine Initiation of holy Baptism
Thou, therefore, Bishop, according to that type, shalt anoint the head of those that are to be baptized, whether they be men or women, with the holy oil, for a type of the spiritual baptism. Then, either thou, Bishop, or a Presbyter that is under thee, shall pronounce over them the sacred name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, and shall dip them in the water; and let a Deacon receive the man, and a Deaconess the woman, that so the conferring of this inviolable seal may be done with a becoming decency. And, after this, let the Bishop anoint those that are baptized with ointment.
Chapter XVII – What is the meaning of Baptism into Christ; and on what account everything therein is said and done
This baptism, therefore, is given into the death of Jesus. The water is instead of the burial; and the oil, instead of the Holy Ghost; the seal, instead of the cross; the ointment, the confirmation of the confession; the mention of the Father, as of the author and sender; the joint mention of the Holy Ghost, as of the witness; the descent into the water, the dying together with Christ; the ascent out of the water, the rising again with him. The Father is the God over all; Christ is the only-begotten God, the beloved Son, the Lord of glory; the Holy Ghost is the Comforter, who is sent by Christ, and is taught by him, and proclaimeth him.
Chapter XVIII – Of what character he ought to be who is Initiated
And let him who is to be baptized be free from all iniquity, one that is not disposed to sin; the friend of God, the enemy of the devil; the heir of God the Father, the fellow-heir of his Son; one that hath renounced Satan, and the demons, and Satan’s deceits; chaste, pure, holy, beloved of God, a son of God, praying as a son to his Father, and saying, as from the common congregation of the faithful, thus: Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come; thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever. Amen.
Chapter XIX – Of what character a Deacon ought to be
Let the Deacons be in all things unspotted, as the Bishop himself is to be, only more active; in number according to the largeness of the church, that they may minister to the infirm, as workmen that are not ashamed; and let the woman appointed be diligent in taking care of the women. Moreover, let both the Deacons and the Deaconesses be ready to carry messages, to travel about, to minister and serve; as spake Isaiah concerning the Lord, saying, To justify the righteous, who serveth many faithfully.
Let all, therefore, know their proper place, and perform their duty diligently with one consent, with one mind, as knowing the reward of their ministration. But let them not be ashamed to minister to those that are in want; as even our Lord Jesus Christ came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many. So therefore ought they also to do, and not to hesitate, if it should be needful to lay down their life for a brother. For our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ did not hesitate to lay down his life, as himself saith, for his friends. If, therefore, the Lord of heaven and earth underwent all his sufferings for us, how then do ye make a difficulty to minister to such as are in want; ye who ought to imitate him that under went for us servitude, and want, and stripes, and the cross? It is therefore a duty that we, too, serve the brethren, in imitation of Christ. For he saith, He that will be great among you, let him be your minister; and he that will be first among you, let him be your servant. For so did he really, and not in word only, fulfil the prediction of serving many faithfully. For when he had taken a towel, he girded himself. After that, he poureth water into a basin; and, as we were sitting at meat, he came and washed the feet of us all, and wiped them with the towel. By doing this he indicated to us the affectionateness of brotherly love, that we also might do the same to one another.
If, therefore, our Lord and Master so humbled himself, how can ye, the laborers of the truth and administrators of piety, be ashamed to do the same to such of the brethren as are weak and infirm? Minister, therefore, affectionately, not murmuring nor mutinying; for ye do not do it on account of man, but on account of God; and ye shall receive from him the reward of your ministry in the day of your visitation. Ye, therefore, who are Deacons, ought to visit all those who stand in need of being visited. And tell your Bishop of all those that are in affliction. For ye ought to be his soul and sensation; being active and attentive in all things to him, as to your Bishop, and father, and master.
Chapter XX – That a Bishop ought to be ordained by three or by two Bishops, but not by one; for that would be invalid
We command that a Bishop be ordained by three Bishops, or at least by two: but it is not lawful that he be set over you by one; for the testimony of two or three witnesses is more firm and secure.
But a Presbyter, and a Deacon, and the rest of the clergy, are to be ordained by one Bishop. Nor must either a Presbyter or a Deacon ordain from the laity into the clergy. But the Presbyter is only to teach, to offer, to baptize, and to bless the people; and the Deacon is to minister to the Bishop and to the Presbyters, that is, to do the office of a ministering Deacon, and not to meddle with the other offices.
END OF BOOK III
BOOK IV – Concerning Orphans
Chapter I -That it is highly commendable to receive orphans kindly, and adopt them
WHEN any Christian is left an orphan, whether a boy or a girl, it is good that someone of the brethren, who is without a child, should take the lad, and esteem him in the place of a son; and that he who hath a son of an age corresponding with that of the maid, should connect her with him, when she is marriageable. For they who do so, perform a great work, and become fathers to the orphans, and shall receive the reward of this charity from the Lord God.
But if anyone that walketh in the way of man-pleasing, being rich, is ashamed of the orphan members, the Father of orphans and Judge of widows will make provision for the orphan; but himself shall have such an heir as will spend what was laid up by his parsimony. And it shall happen to him according as it is said, What things the holy people have not eaten, those shall the Assyrians eat. As also Isaiah saith, Your land strangers devour it in your presence.
Chapter II – How the Bishop ought to provide for the orphans
Do ye, therefore, Bishops, be solicitous about their maintenance, being in nothing wanting to them; exhibiting to the orphans the care of parents, and to widows the care of husbands; to those of suitable age, marriage; to the artificer, work; to the unable, commiseration; to the strangers, a house; to the hungry, food; to the thirsty, drink; to the naked, clothing; to the sick, visitation; to the prisoners, assistance. Besides these, have a greater care of the orphans, that nothing may be wanting to them; to the maid, indeed, till she arrive at the age of marriage, and ye give her in marriage to a brother; and assist ye the lad, that he may learn a trade, and may be maintained by the advantage arising from it, that, when he is dexterous in its management, he may thereby be enabled to buy himself the tools of his trade, so that he may no longer burden any of the brethren, or their sincere love to him, but may support himself. For, certainly, he is a happy man who is able to support himself, and doth not take up the place of the orphan, the stranger, and the widow.
Chapter III – Who ought to be supported, according to the Lords Constitution
Since even the Lord said, that the giver is happier than the receiver. For it is again said by him, Woe to those that have, and receive in hypocrisy, or who are able to support themselves, yet will receive of others; for both of them shall give an account to the Lord God in the day of judgment. But an orphan, who, by reason of his youth, or he who by the feebleness of old age, or the incidence of a disease, or the bringing up of many children, receiveth alms, such a one shall not only not be blamed, but shall be commended. For he shall be esteemed an altar to God, and be honored by God, since he is zealously and constantly praying for those that give to him; not receiving idly, but to the utmost of his power recompensing by his prayer what is bestowed upon him. Such a one, therefore, shall be blessed by God in eternal life. But he that hath, and receiveth in hypocrisy or through idleness, instead of working, and assisting others, shall be obnoxious to punishment before God, because he hath snatched away the morsel of the needy.
Chapter IV – Concerning the love of money
For he that hath money, and doth not bestow it upon others, nor use it himself, is like the serpent, which, they say, sleepeth over the treasures; and of him is that Scripture true which saith, He hath gathered riches of which he shall not taste; and they will be of no use to him when he perisheth justly. For it saith, Riches will not profit in the day of wrath. For such a one hath not believed in God, but in his own gold; esteeming that his god, and trusting therein. Such a one is a dissembler of the truth, an accepter of persons, unfaithful, cheating, fearful, unmanly, light, of no value, a complainer, ever in pain, his own enemy, and nobody’s friend. Such a person’s money shall perish, and a man that is a stranger shall consume it, either by theft, while he is alive, or by inheritance, when he is dead. For riches unjustly gotten shall be vomited up.
Chapter V – With what fear men ought to partake of the Lord’s oblations
We exhort, therefore, the widows and orphans to partake of those things that are bestowed upon them, with all fear and all pious reverence, and to return thanks to God, who giveth food to the needy, and lift up their eyes to him. For the Scripture saith, Who of you shalt eat or who shalt drink without him? For he openeth his hand, and filleth every living thing with his kindness; giving wheat to the young men, and wine to the maidens, and oil for the joy of the living, grass for the cattle, and green herb for the service of men, flesh for the wild beasts, seeds for the birds, and suitable food for all creatures. Wherefore the Lord saith, Consider the fowls of heaven, that they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns, and your Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? Be not therefore solicitous, saying, What shall we eat? or what shall we drink? For your Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.
Since ye therefore enjoy such a providential care from him, and are partakers of the good things that are derived from him, ye ought to return praise to Him that receiveth the orphan and the widow, to Almighty God, through his beloved Son, Jesus Christ our Lord; through whom glory be to God in spirit and truth, forever. Amen.
Chapter VI – Whose oblations are to be received, and whose are not to be received
Now it behooveth the Bishop to know whose oblations he ought to receive, and whose he ought not. For he is to avoid corrupt dealers, and not receive their gifts. For a corrupt dealer shall not be justified from sin. For of them it was that Isaiah reproached Israel, and said, Thy corrupt dealers mingle wine with water. He is also to avoid fornicators; for, Thou shalt not offer the hire of a harlot to the Lord. He is also to avoid extortioners, and those that covet other men’s goods, and adulterers; for the sacrifices of such as these are abominable with God: also those that oppress the widow, and overbear the orphan, and fill prisons with the innocent, and abuse their own servants wickedly, I mean with stripes, and hunger, and hard service; nay, destroy whole cities. Do thou, Bishop, avoid such as these, and their odious oblations.
Thou shalt also refuse rogues, and such advocates as plead on the side of injustice, and idol-makers, and thieves, and unjust publicans, and those that deceive by false balances and deceitful measures, and a soldier that is a false accuser, and not content with his wages, but doeth violence to the needy; a murderer, an executioner, and an unjust judge, a subverter of causes, him that lieth in wait for men, a worker of abominable wickedness, a drunkard, a blasphemer, a Sodomite, an usurer, and every one that is vicious and opposeth the will of God. For the Scripture saith that with God all such as these are abominable. Those that receive from such persons, and thereby support the widows and the orphans, shall be obnoxious to the tribunal of God; as Adonias the prophet, in the book of Kings, when he disobeyed God, and both ate bread and drank water in the place which the Lord had forbidden him, because of the wickedness of Jeroboam, was slain by a lion.
For the bread which is distributed to the widows from labor is better, though it be short and little, than that from injustice and false accusation, though it be much and fine. For the Scripture saith, Better is a little to the righteous, than great riches of the sinners. Now, although a widow who eateth and is filled from the wicked, pray for them, she shall not be heard; for God, who knoweth the heart, with judgment hath declared concerning the unrighteous, saying, If Moses and Samuel stand before my face in their behalf, I will not hear them. And, Pray thou not for this people, and do not ask mercy for them, and do not intercede with me for them; for I will not hear thee.
Chapter VII – That the oblations of the unworthy, while they are such, do not only not propitiate God, but, on the contrary, provoke him to indignation
And not these only, but those that are in sin, and have not repented, will not only not be heard when they pray, but will provoke God to anger, as putting him in mind of their own wickedness. Avoid, therefore, such ministrations, as you would the price of a dog, and the hire of a harlot; for both of them are forbidden in the laws. For neither did Elisha receive the presents of Kings, which were brought by Hazael, nor Ahijah those from Jeroboam. If now the prophets of God did not admit of presents from the ungodly, it is reasonable, Bishops, that neither should you. Nay, when Simon the magician offered money to me, Peter, and John, and endeavored to obtain the invaluable grace by purchase, we did not admit it, but bound him with everlasting maledictions, because he thought to possess the gift of God, not by a pious mind towards God, but by the price of money.
Avoid, therefore, such oblations to God’s altar as are not from a good conscience. For saith he, Abstain from all injustice, and thou shalt not fear, and trembling shall not come nigh thee.
Chapter VIII – That it is better to present to the widows from our own labors, though it be inconsiderable and few contributions, than to present those which are many and large, received from the ungodly; For it is better to perish by famine than to receive an oblation from the ungodly
But if ye say that those who give alms are such as these, and if we do not receive from them, whence shall we administer to the widows? and whence shall the poor among the people be maintained? Ye shall hear from us that for this purpose ye have received the gift of the Levites, the oblations of your people, that ye might have enough for yourselves, and for those that are in want, and that ye might not be so straitened as to receive from the wicked. But if the churches be so straitened, it is better to perish, than to receive anything from the enemies of God, to the reproach and abuse of his friends. For of such as these the prophet speaketh, Let not the oil of a sinner moisten my head.
Be ye therefore examiners of such persons, and receive from such as walk piously, and supply the afflicted. But receive not from those that are excommunicated, until they are thought worthy to become members of the church; but, if a gift be wanting, inform the brethren, and make a collection from them; and thence minister to the orphans and widows in righteousness.
Chapter IX – That the people ought to be exhorted by the Priest to do good to the
needy, as saith Solomon the Wise
Say unto the people under thee what Solomon the Wise saith, Honor the Lord out of thy just labors, and pay thy first-fruits to him out of thy fruits of righteousness, that thy garners may be filled with fulness of wheat, and thy presses may burst out with wine. Therefore maintain and clothe those that are in want, from the righteous labor of the faithful. And the sums of money collected, as we have before said, from them, appoint to be laid out in the redemption of the saints, the deliverance of slaves, and of captives, and of prisoners, and of those that have been abused, and of those who by tyrants have been condemned to single combat and death. For the Scripture saith, Deliver those that are led to death, and redeem those that are ready to be slain, do not spare.
Chapter X – A Constitution, that if anyone of the ungodly force will cast money to the Priests, they spend it in wood and coals, but not in food
But if at any time ye be forced unwillingly to receive money from any ungodly person, lay it out in wood and coals, that so neither the widow nor the orphan may receive any of it, or be under the necessity of buying with it either food or drink, which it is unfit to do. For it is reasonable that such gifts of the ungodly be fuel for fire, and not food for the pious. And this method is plainly appointed by the Law, when it calleth a sacrifice kept too long a thing not fit to be eaten, and commandeth it to be consumed with fire. For such oblations are not evil in their nature, but on account of the mind of those that bring them. And this we ordain, that we may not repel those who come to us; for we know that intercourse with the pious hath often been very profitable to the ungodly, but that only religious communion with them is hurtful. Let so much, therefore, be spoken to you, beloved, in order to your security.
Chapter XI – Of Parents and Children
Ye fathers, educate your children in the Lord, bringing them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord; and teach them such trades as are agreeable and suitable to the Word, lest they, becoming extravagant through opportunity, and remaining without correction from their parents, having had their liberty prematurely, break away from virtue. Wherefore be not afraid to reprove them, and to teach them wisdom with severity. For your corrections will not kill them, but rather preserve them. As Solomon saith some where in the book of Wisdom, Chasten thy son, and he will refresh thee; so wilt thou have good hope of him. Thou verily shalt smite him with the rod, and shalt deliver his soul from death. And again saith the same Solomon thus: He that spareth his rod hateth his son; and afterwards, Beat his sides while he is an infant, lest he be hardened, and disobey thee.
He, therefore, who neglecteth to admonish and instruct his son, hateth his own child. Do ye, therefore, teach your children the Word of the Lord. Moreover, bring them under, even with stripes, and make them subject from their infancy, teaching them the Holy Scriptures, both ours and divine, and delivering to them every sacred writing, not giving such liberty that they get the mastery, and act against your judgment; not permitting them to club together for a drinking party with their equals. For so they will be turned to disorderly courses, and will fall into fornication; and if this happen by the carelessness of their parents, those that begat them will be guilty of their souls. For if the offending children get into the company of debauched persons, by the negligence of those that begat them, they will not be punished alone; but their parents also will be condemned on their account. For this cause, endeavor, at the time when they are of an age fit for marriage, to join them in wedlock, and settle them together, lest, in the heat and fervor of their age, their course of life become dissolute, and ye be required by the Lord God to give an account in the day of judgment.
Chapter XII – Of Servants and Masters
But as to servants, what can we say more, than that the servant bring a good will to his master, with the fear of God, although he be impious and wicked; yet, indeed, let him not yield any compliance as to his worship. And let the master love his servant. Although he be his superior, let him consider wherein they are equal, even as he is a man. And he that hath a believing master, the master’s authority being preserved, let him love him, both as his master, and as of the same faith, and as a father; not as an eye-servant, but as a lover of his master, as knowing that God will recompense him for his service. In like manner, let a master who hath a believing servant, the service being continued, love him as a son, or as a brother, on account of their communion in the faith.
Chapter XIII – In what things we ought to be subject to the rulers of this world
Be ye subject to all royal power and dominion, in things that are pleasing to God, as to the ministers of God, and the punishers of the wicked. Render all the fear that is due to them, all offerings, all customs, all honor, gifts and taxes. For this is God’s command, that ye owe nothing to anyone, but the pledge of love, which God hath commanded by Christ.
Chapter XIV – Concerning Virgins
Concerning virginity we have received no commandment; but we leave it to the power of those that are willing, as a vow; exhorting them so far in this matter, that they do not promise anything rashly; since Solomon saith, It is better not to vow, than to vow and not pay.
Let such a virgin, therefore, be holy in body and soul, as a temple of God, as a house of Christ, as a habitation of the Holy Spirit. For she that voweth ought to do such works as are suitable to her vow; and to show that her vow is real, and made on account of leisure for piety, not to cast a reproach on marriage. Let her not be a gadder abroad, nor one that rambleth about unseasonably; not double-minded; but grave, continent, sober, pure, avoiding the conversation of many, and especially of those that are of ill reputation.
END OF BOOK IV
BOOK V – CONCERNING MARTYRS.
Chapter I – That it is reasonable for the faithful to supply, according to the constitution of the Lord, the wants of those who, by the unbelievers, are afflicted for the sake of Christ
IF any Christian, on account of the name of Christ, and love and faith towards God, be condemned by the ungodly to the games, to the beasts, or to the mines, neglect him not; but send to him from your labor and your very sweat, for his sustenance, and for a reward to the soldiers, that he may be eased, and be taken care of, that, as far as lieth in your power, your blessed brother may not be afflicted. For he that is condemned for the name of the Lord God is a holy martyr, a brother of the Lord, a son of the Highest, a receptacle of the Holy Spirit (by whom every one of the faithful hath received the illumination of the glory of the holy Gospel), in being accounted worthy of the incorruptible crown, and the testimony of Christ’s sufferings, and the fellowship of his blood, that he might be made conformable to the death of Christ, and be adopted as a child.
For this cause, all ye of the faithful, by your Bishop, minister to the saints from your substance and from your labor. But if anyone hath not, let him fast a day, and set apart what is thus saved, and order it for the saints. If, however, anyone hath abundance, let him minister more to them, according to the proportion of his ability. But, if he can possibly sell all his livelihood, and redeem them out of prison, he will be blessed, and a friend of Christ. For if he that giveth his goods to the poor be perfect, after a knowledge of divine things, much rather is he that giveth them on account of the martyrs. For such a one is worthy of God, and will do his will by supplying those who have confessed him before nations and kings, and the children of Israel; concerning whom our Lord declared, saying, Whosoever shall confess me before men, him will I also confess before my Father. And if these be such as to be attested to by Christ before his Father, ye ought not to be ashamed to go to them in the prisons. For if ye do this, it will be esteemed to you for a testimony; because their testimony was what they actually experienced, and yours will be your zealous good will, as being partakers of their combat. For the Lord speaketh somewhere to such as these, saying, Come , ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry, and ye gave me to eat; I was thirsty., and ye gave me drink. I was a stranger, and ye took me in; naked, and ye clothed me. I was sick, and ye visited me. I was in prison, and ye came unto me. Then shall the righteous answer, and say, Lord, when saw we thee hungry, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw we thee naked, and clothed thee? or sick, and visited thee? When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or in prison, and came unto thee? And he will ansiver and say unto them, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. And these shall go away into life everlasting. Then shall he say unto them on his left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry, and ye gave me no food. I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink. I was a stranger, and ye took me not in; naked, and ye clothed me not; sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not. Then shall they also ansiver and say, ‘When saw we thee hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee? Then shall he answer and say unto them, Verily, I say unto you, inasmuch as ye have not done it unto one of the least of these, neither have ye done it unto me. And these shall go away into everlasting punishment.
Chapter II – That we are to avoid intercourse with false brethren, when they continue in their perversity
But if anyone who calleth himself a brother is seduced by the evil one, and doeth wickedness, and is convicted, and condemned to death, as an adulterer or a murderer, depart from him, that ye may be secure, and none of you may be suspected as a partner in the abominable crime, and that no evil report may be spread abroad, as if all Christians took a pleasure in unlawful actions. Wherefore, keep far from them. But with all diligence assist those who, for the sake of Christ, are abused by the ungodly, and shut up in prison, or who are given over to death, or bonds, or banishment, in order to deliver your fellow-members from wicked hands. And if anyone who accompanieth with them is taken, and falleth under ill-treatment, blessed is he; because he is partaker with the martyr, and is one that imitateth the sufferings of Christ. For we ourselves also, when we often received stripes from Caiaphas, and Alexander, and Annas, went out rejoicing that we were counted worthy to suffer such things for our Saviour. Do ye also rejoice when ye suffer such things: for ye shall be blessed in that day.
Chapter III -That we ought to afford a helping hand to such as are plundered for the sake of Christ, although we should incur danger ourselves
Receive also those that are persecuted on account of the faith, and that flee from city to city on account of the Lord’s commandment; and assist them as martyrs, rejoicing that ye are made partakers of their persecution, knowing that they are declared by our Lord to be blessed. For himself saith, Blessed are ye when men shall reproach you, and persecute you, and say all manner of evil against you falsely for my sake. Rejoice and be exceeding glad, because your reward is great in heaven; for so persecuted they the prophets who were before us. And again, If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; and afterwards, If they persecute you in this city, flee ye to another. For in the world ye have tribulation; for they shall deliver you into the synagogues, and ye shall be brought before rulers and kings for my sake, and for a testimony to them. And, He that endureth unto the end, the same shall be saved. For he that is persecuted for the sake of the faith, and beareth witness to Christ, and endureth, this person is truly a man of God.
Chapter IV – That it is a horrible and destructive thing to deny Christ
But he that denieth his being Christ’s, that he may not be hated of men, and so loveth his own life more than the Lord, in whose hand his breath is, this person is wretched and miserable, as being detestable and abominable, who desireth to be the friend of men, but is the enemy of God, having no longer his portion with the saints, but with those that are accursed; choosing, instead of the kingdom of the blessed, that eternal fire which is prepared for the devil and his angels; not being any longer hated by men, but rejected by God, and cast out from his presence. For of such a one our Lord declared, saying, Whosoever shall deny me before men, and shall be ashamed of my name, I also will deny and be ashamed of him before my Father who is in heaven.
And again, he speaketh thus to ourselves, his disciples, He that loveth father or mother more than me, is not worthy of me; and he that loveth son or daughter more than me, is not worthy of me; and he that taketh not My cross and followeth after me, is not worthy of me. He that findeth his life shall lose it, and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it. For what is a man profited if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? And afterwards, Fear not them that kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.
Chapter V – That we ought to imitate Christ in suffering, and with zeal to follow his patience
Every one, therefore, who learneth any art, when he seeth his master, by his diligence and skill, perfecting his art, doth himself earnestly endeavor to make what he taketh in hand, similar to the article made by his master. If he is not able, he is not perfected in his work. We, therefore, who have a Master, our Lord Jesus Christ, why do we not follow his doctrine? Since he renounced repose, pleasure, glory, riches, pride, the power of revenge, his mother and brethren, nay, and moreover, his own life, on account of his piety towards his Father, and his love to us, the human family; and suffered not only persecution and stripes, reproach and mockery, but also crucifixion, that he might save the penitent, both Jews and Gentiles. If, therefore, he, for our sake, renounced his repose, was not ashamed of the cross, and did not esteem death inglorious, why do we not imitate his sufferings, and renounce, on his account, even our own life, with that patience which he giveth us? For he did all for our sake, but we for our own sake; for he doth not stand in need of us, but we stand in need of his mercy. He requireth only the sincerity and readiness of our faith, as saith the Scripture, If thou art righteous, what dost thou give to him? or what will he receive at thy hand? Thy wickedness is to a man like thyself, and thy righteousness is to a son of man.
Chapter VI – That a believer ought neither rashly to run into danger, through security; nor to be over-timorous, through pusillanimity; but to fly away for fear; yet, if he fall into the enemy’s hand, to strive earnestly on account of the crown that is laid up for him
Let us therefore renounce our parents, and kinsmen, and friends, and wife, and children, and possessions, and all the enjoyments of life, when any of these things become an impediment to piety. For we ought to pray that we may not enter into temptation; but, if we be called to martyrdom, with constancy to confess his precious name; and if, on this account, we be punished, let us rejoice, as hastening to immortality. When we are persecuted, let us not think it strange. Let us not love the present world, nor the praises which come from men, nor the glory and honor of rulers; as some of the Jews wondered at the mighty works of our Lord, yet did not believe on him, for fear of the high priests and the rest of the rulers. For they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.
But now, by avowing a good confession, we not only save our selves, but we confirm those who are newly illuminated, and strengthen the faith of the catechumens. But, if we remit any part of our confession, and deny godliness by the faintness of our persuasion, and the fear of a very short punishment, we not only deprive ourselves of everlasting glory, but we shall also become the causes of the perdition of others; and shall suffer double punishment, as affording suspicion, by our denial, that that truth in which we gloried so much before is an erroneous doctrine.
Wherefore, neither let us be rash and hasty to thrust ourselves into dangers; for the Lord saith, Pray that ye fall not into temptation; the spirit, indeed, is willing, but the flesh is weak; nor let us, when we do fall into dangers, be fearful or ashamed of our profession. For if a person, by the denial of his own hope, which is Jesus the Son of God, should be delivered from a temporary death, and the next day should fall dangerously sick upon his bed, with a malady in his bowels, his stomach, or his head, or any of the incurable diseases, as a consumption, or gangrene, or looseness, or iliac passion, or dropsy, or cholic, and have a sudden catastrophe, and depart this life; is he not deprived of the things present, and doth he not lose those which are eternal? Or, rather, is he not within the verge of eternal punishment, and gone into outer darkness, where shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth?
But he who is deemed worthy of the honor of martyrdom, let him rejoice with joy in the Lord, as obtaining thereby so great a crown, and departing out of this life by his confession. Nay, though he be but a catechumen, let him depart without trouble; for his suffering for Christ will be to him a more genuine baptism, because he dieth with Christ in reality, but the rest only in a figure. Let him therefore rejoice in the invitation of his Master; since it is thus ordained, Let every one be perfect, as his Master. Now, his and our Master, Jesus the Lord, was smitten for our sake. He under went reproaches and revilings, with long-suffering. He was spit upon; he was smitten on the face; he was buffeted; and when he had been scourged, he was nailed to the cross. He had vinegar and gall to drink; and when he had fulfilled all things that were written, he said to his God and Father, Into thy hands I commend my spirit. Wherefore, let him that desireth to be his disciple, earnestly follow his conflicts. Let him imitate his patience; knowing that, although he be burned in the fire by men, he will suffer nothing, as the three children; or, if he suffer anything, he shall receive a reward from the Lord, believing in the one and only true God and Father, through Jesus Christ, the great High Priest, and Redeemer of our souls, and Rewarder of our sufferings; to whom be glory forever. Amen.
Chapter VII – Several demonstrations concerning the Resurrection, concerning the
Sibyl, and what the Stoics say concerning the bird called Phoenix
For the Almighty God himself will raise us up through our Lord Jesus Christ, according to his infallible promise, and grant us a resurrection with all those that have slept from the beginning of the world. And we shall then be such as we now are, in our present form, without any defect or corruption; since we shall rise incorruptible. For whether we die at sea, or are scattered on the earth, or are torn to pieces by wild beasts and birds, he will raise us by his own power; because the whole world is held together by the hand of God. Moreover, he saith, A hair of your head shall not perish. Wherefore he exhorteth us, saying, In your patience possess ye your souls.
Besides, concerning the resurrection of the dead, and the recompense of reward for the martyrs, Gabriel saith to Daniel, And many of them that sleep shall arise out of the dust of the earth, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. And they that understand shall shine as the sun, and as the firmament, and as the stars. Therefore the most holy Gabriel foretold that the saints should shine like the stars; for his sacred name testified to them that they might understand the truth.
Nor is a resurrection declared only for the martyrs, but for all men, righteous and unrighteous, godly and ungodly, that every one may receive according to his desert. For God, saith the Scripture, will bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil. This resurrection was not believed by the Jews, when of old they said, Our bones are withered, and we are gone. To whom God answered, and said, Behold, I open your graves, and will bring you out of them, and will put my spirit into you; and ye shall live, and ye shall know that I, the Lord, have spoken it, and will do it. And he saith by Isaiah, The dead shall rise, and those that are in the graves shall be raised up. And those that rest in the earth shall rejoice; for the dew which is from thee shall be healing to them.
There are, indeed, many and various things said concerning the resurrection, and concerning the continuance of the righteous in glory, and concerning the punishment of the wicked, their fall, rejection, condemnation, shame, eternal fire, and endless worm. And that, if it had pleased him that all men should be immortal, it was in his power, he showed in the examples of Enoch and Elijah, while he did not suffer them to have any experience of death. Or, if it had pleased him in every generation to raise those that died, that this also he was able to do he hath made manifest both by himself and by others; as when he raised the widow’s son by Elijah, and the Shunamite’s son by Elisha.
But we are persuaded that death is not a retribution of punishment, because even the saints have undergone it; nay, even the Lord of the saints, Jesus Christ, the life of them that believe, and the resurrection of the dead. On this account, therefore, as if [to exhibit a spectacle] for those who live in a great city, after the combats he bringeth a dissolution for a little while, that, when he raiseth up everyone, he may either reject or crown him. For he that made the body of Adam out of the earth will raise up the bodies of the rest, and that of the first man, after the dissolution, to pay what is owing to the rational nature of man; we mean the continuance in being through all ages. He, therefore, who bringeth on the dissolution will himself also procure the resurrection. And he who said, The Lord took dust from the ground, and formed man, and breathed into his face the breath of life, and man became a living soul; and who added, after the disobedience, Earth thou art, and unto earth shalt thou return; himself promised us a resurrection afterwards, For, saith he, All that are in the graves shall hear the voice of the Son of God, and they that hear shall live.
Besides these arguments, we believe, even from the resurrection of our Lord, that there is to be a resurrection. For he himself who raised Lazarus, when he had been in the grave four days, and Jairus’s daughter, and the widow’s son; and who, by the command by the Father, raised himself in the space of three days, is the pledge of our resurrection. For, saith he, l am the resurrection and the life. He that brought Jonah, in the space of three days, alive and unhurt, out of the belly of the whale, and the three children out of the furnace of Babylon, and Daniel out of the mouth of the lions, will be in no want of power also to awake us.
But if the Gentiles laugh at us, and disbelieve our Scriptures, let at least their own prophetess, the Sibyl, oblige them to believe, who saith thus to them, in so many words:
But when all things shall be reduced to dust and ashes,
And the immortal God, who kindled the fire, shall have quenched it,
Bones and ashes God himself shall again form into a man,
And shall place mortals again as they were before.
And then, indeed, shall be a judgment, in which God himself will render justice,
Judging the world again; and whoever have impiously sinned,
These the earth again shall cover;
But all the pious shall live again in the world,
God giving spirit, life, and favor to them, the devout.
Then, moreover, all shall see themselves.
Orac. Sibyl B. IV. (end.)
If, therefore, this prophetess herself confesseth the resurrection, and doth not deny the restoration of all things, and distinguisheth the godly from the ungodly, it is in vain for them to deny our doctrine. Nay, indeed, they say they can show a resemblance of the resurrection (while they do not believe the things which they themselves declare). For they say that there is a bird, single in its kind, which affordeth a rich evidence of the resurrection. This bird, they affirm, is without a mate, and the only one in the creation. They call it a Phoenix, and relate that, every five hundred years, it cometh into Egypt, to what is called the altar of the sun, and bringeth with it a great quantity of cinnamon, and cassia, and balsam wood, and, standing towards the east, as they say, and praying to the sun, of its own accord, is burnt, and becometh dust; but that a worm ariseth again out of those ashes; and when this is warmed, it is formed into a new-born Phoenix; and when it is able to fly, it goeth to Arabia, which is beyond the Egyptian countries. If now, as even themselves say, a resurrection is exhibited by means of an irrational bird, why do they vainly disparage our accounts, when we profess that He who, by his power, bringeth that into being which was not in being before, is able also to restore this body, and raise it up again after its dissolution?
For, on account of this full assurance of hope, we undergo stripes, and persecutions, and deaths. Otherwise, we should to no purpose undergo such things, if we had not a full assurance of these promises, of which we profess ourselves to be the preachers. As, therefore, we believe Moses, when he saith, In the beginning God made the heaven and the earth; and we know that he was not in need of matter, but by his will alone brought those things into being which Christ was commanded to make; we mean the heaven, the earth, the sea, the light, the night, the day, the luminaries, the stars, the fowls, the fishes, the four-footed beasts, the creeping things, the plants, and the herbs; so also will he raise all men up by his will, not wanting any assistance. For it is the work of the same power to create the world and to raise the dead. And then he made man, who was not a man before, of different parts; giving to him a soul made out of nothing. But now he will restore the bodies, which have been dissolved, to the souls that are still in being; for the rising again belongeth to things laid down, not to things which have no being. The same Being, therefore, that made the original matter out of nothing, and out of it formed various bodies, will also vivify and again raise up those that are dead.
For he that formed man in the womb out of a little seed, and created in him a soul which was not in being before, as himself somewhere saith to Jeremiah, Before I formed thee in the womb, I knew thee; and elsewhere, I am the Lord who established the heaven, and laid the foundations of the earth, and formed the spirit of man in him; he himself will also raise up all men, as being his workmanship; as also the divine Scripture testifieth that God said to Christ, his only-begotten, Let us make man after our image, and after our likeness. And God made man; after the image of God made he him; male and female made he them. And the most divine and patient Job, of whom the Scripture saith, It is written that he shall rise again with those whom the Lord raiseth up, thus addresseth God: Hast thou not milked me like milk, and curdled me like cheese? Thou hast clothed me with skin and flesh, and hast formed me with bones and sinews. Thou hast granted me life and favor, and thy visitation hath preserved my spirit. Having these things within me, I know that thou canst do all things, and that nothing is impossible with thee. Wherefore, also, our Saviour and Master, Jesus Christ, saith, that what is impossible with men is possible with God. And David, the beloved of God, saith, Thy hands have made me, and fashioned me. And again, Thou knowest my frame; and afterwards, Thou hast fashioned me, and laid thy hand upon me. The knowledge of thee is declared to be too wonderful for me. It is very great; I cannot attain unto it. Thine eyes did see my substance, being yet imperfect; and all men shall be written in thy look. But also Isaiah saith in his prayer to him, We are the clay, and thou art the Framer of us. If, therefore, man be his workmanship, made by Christ, by him most certainly will he, after he is dead, be raised again, for the purpose of being either crowned for his good actions, or punished for his transgressions. But if, being the lawgiver, he judgeth with righteousness, as he punisheth the wicked, so doth he do good to and save the faithful. And those saints who, for his sake, have been slain by men, some of them he will cause to shine as the stars, and others he will make bright as the luminaries; as Gabriel said to Daniel.
All we of the faithful, therefore, who are the disciples of Christ, believe his promises. For he that hath promised, cannot lie. But, saith the blessed prophet David, The Lord is faithful in all his words, and holy in all his works. For he that framed for himself a body out of a virgin, is also the Former of other men. And he that raised himself from the dead, will also raise again all that are lying in death. He who raiseth wheat out of the ground, with many stalks from one grain; he who maketh the tree that is cut down, send forth fresh branches; he who made Aaron’s dry rod put forth buds, will himself also raise us up in glory. He who raised up to perfect health him that had the palsy, and healed him that had the withered hand; he who, from clay and spittle, supplied a defective part to him who was born blind, the same will also raise us up. He that satisfied five thousand men with five loaves and two fishes, and caused a remainder of twelve baskets; and out of the water made wine, and sent a piece of money out of a fish’s mouth, by me Peter, to those who demanded tribute; he also will raise the dead. For we testify all these things concerning him, and the prophets testify the other.
We, who have eaten and drunk with him, and have been spectators of his wonderful works, and of his life, and of his deportment, and of his words, and of his sufferings, and of his death, and of his resurrection from the dead, and who conversed with him forty days after his resurrection, and who received a command from him to preach the Gospel to all the world, and to make disciples of all nations, and to baptize them into his death, by the authority of the God of the universe, who is his Father; and by the testimony of the Spirit, who is the Comforter, we teach you all these things which he appointed us by his constitutions, before he was received up in our sight into heaven, to him that sent him. And if ye will believe, ye shall be happy; but if ye will not believe, we shall be found innocent, and clear from your incredulity.
Chapter VIII – Concerning James, the brother of the Lord, and Stephen, the first Martyr
Now, concerning the martyrs, we say to you, that they are to be held in all honor with you, as we honor the blessed James, the Bishop, and the holy Stephen, our fellow-servant. For these are accounted by God to be blessed, and are honored by holy men, as being pure from all transgressions, immovable, when tempted to sin, or persuaded from good works; undoubtedly entitled to encomiums. Of whom also David said, Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his holy ones; and Solomon, The memory of the just is with praise. Of whom also the prophet said, Righteous men are taken away.
Chapter IX – Concerning False Martyrs
These things we have said concerning those who, in truth, have been martyrs for Christ, but not concerning false martyrs, concerning whom the oracle saith, The name of the wicked is extinguished. For, A faithful witness will not lie, but an unfaithful witness inflameth lies. For he that departeth this life in testimony for the truth, without falsification, is a faithful martyr, worthy to be believed in those things in which he strove, by his own blood, for the word of piety.
Chapter X – A moral admonition that we are to abstain from vain talking, obscene talking, jesting, drunkenness, lasciviousness, and luxury
Moreover, we exhort you, brethren and fellow-servants, to avoid vain talk, and obscene discourses, and jesting, drunkenness, lasciviousness, luxury, and unbounded passions, with foolish talking; since neither on the Lord’s days, which are days of joy, do we permit you to speak or act anything unseemly. For the Scripture somewhere saith, Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice unto him with trembling. Even your very rejoicings, therefore, ought to be done with fear and trembling. For a Christian who is faithful ought neither to repeat a heathen hymn, nor an obscene song; because he will be obliged, by that hymn, to make mention of the idolatrous names of demons; and, instead of the Holy Spirit, the wicked one will enter into him.
Chapter XI – An admonition, instructing men to avoid the abominable sin of Idolatry
Ye are also forbidden to swear by them, or to utter their abominable names through your mouth, and to worship them, or fear them as Gods; for they are not gods, but either wicked demons, or the ridiculous contrivances of men. For somewhere God saith concerning the Israelites, They have forsaken me, and sworn by them that are no gods; and afterwards, I will take away the names of the idols out of their mouth; and elsewhere, They have provoked me to jealousy with them that are no gods; they have provoked me to anger with their idols. And in all the Scriptures these things are forbidden by the Lord God.
Chapter XII – That we ought not to sing a heathen or an obscene song; nor to swear by an idol, because it is an impious thing, and contrary to the knowledge of God
But not only concerning idols do our holy statutes give us prohibitions, but also concerning the luminaries. They admonish us not to swear by them, nor to serve them. For they say, Lest when thou seest the sun and the moon, and the stars, thou shouldst be seduced to worship them; and elsewhere, Learn not to walk after the ways of the heathen, and be not afraid of the signs of heaven. For the stars and the luminaries were given to men to shine upon them, but not for worship; although the Israelites, by the perverseness of their temper, worshipped the creature instead of the Creator, and became injurious to their Maker, and admired the creature more than was fit. And sometimes they made a calf in the wilderness; sometimes they worshipped Baal-peor; another time, Baal, and Thammuz, and Astarte of Sidon; and again, Moloch and Chamos; another time, the sun, as it is written in Ezekiel; nay, and besides, irrational creatures, as, amongst the Egyptians, apes and the Mendesian goat; and gods of silver and gold, as in Judea. On account of all which things, he threatened them, and said by the prophet, Is it a small thing to the house of Judah to do these abominations, which they have done? For they have filled the land with their wickedness, to provoke me to anger. And behold, they are as those that mock. But I will act with anger; mine eye shall not spare, nor will I have mercy. And they shall cry in mine ears with a great voice, and I will not hearken unto them.
Consider, beloved, how manythings the Lord declareth against idolaters, and the worshippers of the sun and moon. Wherefore it is the duty of a man of God, as he is a Christian, not to swear by the sun, nor by the moon, nor by the stars, nor by the heaven, nor by the earth, nor by any of the elements, whether small or great. For if our Master charged us not to swear by the true God, that our word might be firmer than an oath, nor by heaven itself, for that is a heathenish impiety, nor by Jerusalem, nor by the sanctuary of God, nor the altar, nor the gift, nor the gilding of the altar, nor one’s own head; for this custom is a piece of Jewish corruption, and on that account it was forbidden; and if he enjoined upon the faithful that their yea be yea, and their nay nay; and said that what is more than these is of the evil one; how much more blamable are those who appeal to deities falsely so called, as the objects of an oath, and who glorify imaginary beings instead of those that are real! whom God, for their perverseness, delivered over to foolishness, to do those things that are not convenient.
Chapter XIII – A catalogue of the feasts of the Lord which are to be kept; and
when each of them ought to observed
Brethren, observe the festival days, and first indeed the birth-day of our Lord, which is to be celebrated by you on the twenty-fifth of the ninth month. After which, let Epiphany be to you the most honorable, in which the Lord made to us a manifestation of his own divinity; but let this festival be observed on the sixth of the tenth month. Subsequently the Quadragesimal fast (Lent) is to be observed by you, as containing a memorial both of our Lord’s deportment and of his legislation. But let this fast be observed before the fast of the Passover, beginning from the second day of the week, and ending at the day of the Preparation. After which solemnities, breaking off your fast, begin the Holy Week of the Passover, fasting in the same all of you with fear and trembling, praying in those days for the perishing.
Chapter XIV – the Passion of our Lord, and what was done on each day of his sufferings; and concerning Judas; and that Judas was not present when the Lord delivered the mysteries to his disciples
For they began to hold a council against the Lord on the second day of the week, in the first month, which is Xanthicus; and the deliberation continued on the third day of the week; but on the fourth day, they determined to take away his life by crucifixion. And Judas knowing this, who for a long time had been perverted, but was then smitten by the devil himself with the love of money, although he had long been entrusted with the purse, and used to steal what was set apart for the needy, yet was not cast off by the Lord, through much long-suffering. Besides, when we were once feasting with him, being willing both to bring him back to his duty, and to instruct us in his own foreknowledge, he said, Verily,verily, I say unto you, that one of you will betray me. And every one of us saying, Is it I? and the Lord being silent, I, who was one of the twelve, and more beloved by him than the rest, arose up from lying in his bosom, and besought him to tell who it should be that should betray him. Yet neither then did our gracious Lord declare his name, but gave two signs of the betrayer; one by saying, He that dippeth with me in the dish; and a second, To whom I shall give the sop when I have dipped it. Although even he said, Master, is it I?, the Lord did not say yes, but Thou hast said. And being willing to terrify him in the matter, he said, Woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed. Good were it for him if he had never been born. And having heard these things, he went away, and said to the priests, What will ye give me, and I will deliver him unto you? And they bargained with him for thirty pieces of silver. And the Scripture was fulfilled which saith, And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of him that was valued, whom they of the children of Israel did value, and gave them for the house of the potter.
And on the fifth day of the week, when we had eaten the Passover with him, and when Judas had dipped his hand into the dish, and received the sop, and was gone out by night, the Lord said to us, The hour is come that ye shall be dispersed, and shall leave me alone. And every one vehemently affirming that we would not forsake him, I, Peter, adding this promise that I would even die with him, he said, Verily I say unto thee, before the cock croweth, thou shalt thrice deny that thou knowest me. And when he had delivered to us the representative mysteries of his precious body and blood, Judas not being present with us, he went out to the Mount of Olives, near the brook Cedron, where there was a garden; and we were with him, and sang a hymn, according to the custom; and being separated from us, he prayed earnestly to his Father, saying, Father, remove this cup away from me; yet not my will, but thine, be done. And when he had done this thrice, while we out of despondency were fallen asleep, he came and said, The hour is come, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.
And behold, Judas, and with him a multitude of ungodly men, to whom he showeth the signal by which he was to betray him, a deceitful kiss. But they, when they had received the signal agreed on, took hold of the Lord; and, having bound him, they led him to the house of Caiaphas, the high priest, in which were assembled many, not the people, but a rabble, not a holy council of elders, but an assembly of the wicked, and senate of the ungodly, who did manythings against him, and left no kind of injury untried, spitting upon him, deriding him, beating him, smiting him on the face, reviling him, tempting him, seeking vain divination instead of true prophecies from him, calling him a deceiver, a transgressor of Moses, a destroyer of the temple, a taker away of sacrifices, an enemy to the Romans, an adversary to Caesar. And these reproaches did these bulls and dogs, in their madness, cast upon him, till it was very early in the morning; and then they led him away to Annas, who was father-in-law to Caiaphas; and when they had done the like things to him there, it being the day of the Preparation, they delivered him to Pilate, the Roman governor, accusing him of many and great things, none of which they could prove.
Upon which, the governor, being out of patience with them, said, I find no cause against him. But they brought two false witnesses, and wished thus to substantiate a slanderous accusation against him; but, these being found disagreeing, they referred the matter to loyalty, saying, This fellow saith that he is a king, and forbiddeth to give tribute to Caesar. And themselves became accusers, and witnesses, and judges, and authors of the sentence, saying Crucify him, crucify him; that it might be fulfilled which is written by the prophets concerning him, Unjust witnesses were gathered together against me, and in justice lied to itself. And again, Many dogs compassed me about; the assembly of the wicked laid siege against me. And elsewhere, My heritage hath become to me as a lion in a forest, and hath sent forth her voice against me. Pilate, therefore, disgracing his authority by his pusillanimity, convicteth himself of wickedness, by regarding the multitude more than this just person, and bearing witness to him as innocent, yet delivering him up, as guilty, to the punishment of the cross; although the Romans had made laws that no man unconvicted should be put to death.
But the executioners took the Lord of glory, and nailed him to the cross, crucifying him indeed at the tenth hour, but having received the sentence of his condemnation at the third hour. After this they gave him vinegar to drink, mingled with gall. Then they divided his garments by lot. Then they crucified two malefactors with him, on each side one, that it might be fulfilled which was written, They gave me gall to eat; and when I was thirsty, they gave me vinegar to drink. And again, They divided my garments among themselves, and upon my vesture they have cast lots. And in another place, And I was reckoned with the transgressors. Then there was darkness for three hours, from the sixth to the ninth, and again light in the evening; as it is written, It shall not be day nor night; and at the evening there shall be light.
All which things when those malefactors saw that were crucified with him, one of them reproached him, as though he was weak, and unable to deliver himself; but the other rebuked the ignorance of his companion, and, turning to the Lord, as being enlightened by him, and acknowledging who he was that suffered, he prayed that he would remember him in his kingdom hereafter. The Lord then immediately granted him the forgiveness of his former sins, and brought him into Paradise to enjoy the mystical good things. He also, about the ninth hour, cried out and said to his Father, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? And a little afterwards, when he had cried with a loud voice, Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do; and had added, Into thy hands I commend my spirit, he gave up the ghost; and, before sunset, he was buried in a new sepulchre.
But when the first day of the week dawned, he arose from the dead, and fulfilled those things which before his passion he foretold to us, saying, The Son of Man must continue in the heart of the earth three days and three nights. And when he was risen from the dead, he appeared first to Mary Magdalen, and Mary the mother of James; then to Cleopas in the way; and, after that, to us his disciples, who had fled away for fear of the Jews, but privately were very inquisitive concerning him. But these things are also written in the Gospel. Of the Great Week; and on what account they enjoin us to fast on Wednesday and Friday.
He therefore himself charged us to fast these six days, on account of the impiety and transgression of the Jews; commanding us to mourn over them, and lament for their perdition. For even he himself wept over them, because they knew not the time of their visitation. But he commanded us to fast on the fourth day of the week (Wednesday), and on the Preparation (Friday), the former on account of his being betrayed, and the latter on account of his Passion. But he appointed us to break our fast on the seventh day at the cock-crowing, but to fast during the Sabbath itself; not that the Sabbath is a day of fasting, it being the rest from the creation, but because we ought to fast this one Sabbath only, while on this day the Creator was yet under the earth. For on their very Feast day they apprehended the Lord, that that oracle might be fulfilled which saith, They placed their signs in the middle of their feast, and knew them not. Ye ought, therefore, to mourn over them, because when the Lord came they did not believe on him, but rejected his doctrine, judging themselves unworthy of salvation.
Consequently, ye are blessed, who once were not a people, but are now a holy nation, delivered from the deceit of idols, from ignorance, from impiety; who once had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy, through your hearty obedience. For to you, the converted Gentiles, is opened the gate of life, who formerly were not beloved, but are now beloved; a people ordained for the possession of God, to show forth his virtues; concerning whom our Saviour said, I was found of them that sought me not; 1 was made manifest to them that asked not after me. I said, Behold me, to a nation that did not call upon my name. For when they did not seek after him, then were they sought for by him; and ye who have believed in him have hearkened to his call, and have left the madness of polytheism, and have fled to the true monarchy, to Almighty God, through Christ Jesus, and are become the completion of the number of the saved, Ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands; as it is written in David, A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand. And again, The chariots of God are by tens of thousands, and thousands of the prosperous. But to unbelieving Israel he saith, All the day long have I stretched out my hands to a disobedient and gainsaying people, which go in a way that is not good, hit after their own sins; a people provoking me before my face.
Chapter XVI – An enumeration of the prophetical predictions which declare Christ; whose completion though the Jews saw, yet, out of the evil temper of their mind, they did not believe he was the Christ of God, and condemned the Lord of glory to the cross
See how the people provoked the Lord by not believing in him. Therefore he saith, They provoked the Holy Spirit, and he was turned to be their enemy. For blindness is cast upon them by reason of the wickedness of their mind; because, when they saw Jesus, they did not believe him to be the Christ of God, who was before all ages begotten of him, his only-begotten Son, God the Word, whom they did not own, through their unbelief, neither on on account of his mighty works, nor yet on account of the prophecies which were written concerning him. For that he was to be born of a virgin, they read this prophecy, Behold a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel. For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, whose government is upon his shoulders; and his name is called the Angel of the great Council, the Wonderful Counsellor, the Mighty God, the Potentate, the Prince of Peace, the Father of the future age. Moreover, that through their exceedingly great wickedness, they would not believe in him, the Scripture saith, Lord, who hath believed our report? And to whom hath the arm of the Lord been revealed? And afterwards, Hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive; for the heart of this people is waxed gross.
Wherefore knowledge was taken from them, because seeing, they overlooked; and hearing, they heard not. But to you, the converted of the Gentiles, is the kingdom given, because ye, who knew not God, have believed by preaching, and have known him, or rather are known of him, through Jesus, the Saviour and Redeemer of those that hope in him. For ye are translated from your former vain and tedious customs, and have contemned the lifeless idols, and despised the demons which are in darkness, and have hastened to the true light, and by it have known the one and only true God and Father, and so are owned to be heirs of his kingdom. We have been baptized into the Lord’s death, and into his resurrection, as new-born babes, ye ought to be icon, wholly free from all sinful actions. For ye are not your own, but his that bought you with his own blood. For concerning the formar Israel, the Lord said, on account of their unbelief, that the kingdom of God shall be taken from them, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof; that is to say, that, having given the kingdom to you who were once for estranged from him, he expecteth the fruits of your gratitude and probity. For ye are those that were once sent into the vineyard, and did not obey, but these they that did obey; but ye have repented of your denial, and ye work therein now. But they, being uneasy on account of their own covenants, have not only left the vineyard uncultivated, but have also killed the stewards of the lord of the vineyard; one with stones, another with the sword; one they sawed asunder, another they slew in the holy place, between the temple and the altar; nay, at last they cast the heir himself out of the vineyard, and slew him. And by them he was rejected as an unprofitable stone; but by you he was received as a corner-stone. Wherefore he saith concerning you, A people whom I knew not have served me; and at the hearing of the ear they obeyed me.
Chapter XVII – How the Passover ought to be celebrated
Therefore, brethren, ye, who are redeemed by the precious blood of Christ, ought diligently to celebrate the days of the Passover, with all carefulness, after the equinox, that ye keep not the memorial of the one passion twice in a year, but once only in a year for him that died but once; no longer indeed scrupulously caring to celebrate the feast with the Jews; for with them we now have no fellowship. For they are deceived in respect to the computation itself, which they think to carry into effect; as on every side they are deceived, and are separated from the truth. But do ye regard attentively the vernal equinox, which occurreth on the twenty-second day of the twelfth month (which is March) , watching carefully until the twenty-first day of the moon, lest the fourteenth day of the moon fall on another week; and, an error being made, ye through ignorance celebrate the Passover twice in the year; or keep the feast commemorative of the resurrection of our Lord Jesus, on some other than the Lord’s day.
Chapter XVIII – A Constitution concerning the great Passover Week
In the days, therefore, of the Passover, fast, beginning from the second day of week until the Preparation and the Sabbath, six days; making use of only bread, and salt, and herbs, and water for your drink; but abstain from wine and flesh on these days; for they are days of lamentation, and not of feasting. Do ye who are able fast the day of the Preparation and the Sabbath entirely, tasting nothing till the cock-crowing of the night; but if anyone is not able to join them both together, at least let him retain the Sabbath; for the Lord saith somewhere, speaking of himself, When the bride-groom shall be taken away from them, in those days shall they fast. In these days, therefore, he was taken from the Jews, falsely so named, and fastened to the cross, and was numbered among the transgressors.
Chapter XIX – Concerning the watching all the night of the great Sabbath, and concerning the day of the Resurrection
Wherefore we exhort you to fast on those days, till the evening, as we also fasted when he was taken away from us. But on the rest of the days, before the day of the Preparation, let every one eat at the ninth hour, or at the evening, or as every one is able.
But on the Sabbath, extending the fast till cock-crowing, discontinue it at the dawning of the first day of the week, which is the Lord’s day. From the evening till cock-crowing keep awake, and assemble together in the church; watch, praying and entreating God; reading, when ye sit up all night, the Law, the Prophets, and the Psalms, until cock-crowing; and baptizing your catechumens, and reading the gospel with fear and trembling, and speaking to the people such things as tend to their salvation, put an end to your sorrow, and beseech God that Israel may be converted, and that he will allow them place of repentance, and the remission of their impiety. For the judge, who was a foreigner, washed his hands, and said, I am innocent of the blood of this just person: see ye to it. But Israel cried out, His blood be on us, and on our children. And when Pilate said, Shall I crucify your king? they cried We have no king but Caesar; crucify him, crucify him; forevery one that maketh himself a king, speaketh against Caesar. And, If thou let this man go, thou art not Caesar’s friend. And Pilate the governor, and Herod the king, commanded him to be crucified; and that oracle was fulfilled which saith, Why did the Gentiles rage, and the people imagine vain things? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the riders were gathered together against the Lord, and against his Christ. And, They cast away the beloved, as a dead man, who is abominable.
And since he was crucified on the day of the Preparation, and rose again at the break of day on the Lord’s day, the Scripture was fulfilled which saith, Arise, God, judge the earth; for thou shalt have an inheritance in all the nations. And again, I will arise, saith the Lord; I will put him in safety; I will wax bold through him. And, But thou, Lord, have mercy upon me, and raise me up again, and I shall requite them. For this reason do ye also, now the Lord is risen, offer your sacrifice, concerning which he made a constitution by us, saying, This do in remembrance of me; and thenceforward leave off your fasting, and rejoice, and keep a festival, because Jesus Christ, the pledge of our resurrection, is risen from the dead. And let this be an everlasting ordinance till the consummation of the world, until the Lord come. For to the Jews the Lord is still dead, but to Christians he is risen: to the former, by their unbelief; to the latter, by their full assurance of faith. For the hope in him is immortal and eternal life.
After eight days, let there be another feast observed with honor, the eighth day itself, on which he gave me, Thomas, who was hard of belief, full assurance, by showing me the print of the nails, and the wound made in his side by the spear.
And again, from the first Lord’s day count forty days, from the Lord’s day till the fifth day of the week; and celebrate the Feast of the Ascension of the Lord, in which he finished all his dispensation and constitution, and returned to the God and Father who had sent him; sitting down at the right hand of power, and remaining there until his enemies be put under his feet. He will also come at the end of the world, with power and great glory, to judge the living and the dead, and to recompense every one according to his works. And then shall they see the beloved Son of God, whom they pierced; and when they know him, they shall mourn for themselves, tribe by tribe, and their wives apart.
Chapter XX – A Prophetic Prediction concerning Christ Jesus
For even now, on the tenth day of the month September, when they assemble together, they read the Lamentations of Jeremiah, in which it is said, The spirit before our face, Christ the Lord was taken in their destructions; and Baruch, in whom it is written, This is our God; no other shall be esteemed with him. He found out every way of knowledge, and showed it to Jacob his son, and Israel his beloved. Afterwards he was seen upon earth, and conversed with men. And when they read them, they lament and bewail, as themselves suppose, that desolation which happened by Nebuchadnezzar; but, as the truth showeth, they unwillingly make a prelude to that lamentation which will overtake them.
But after ten days from the ascension, which, from the first Lord’s day, is the fiftieth day, let there be to you a great festival. For on that day, at the third hour, the Lord Jesus sent on us the gift of the Holy Ghost, and we were filled with his energy, and we spake with new tongues, as that Spirit suggested to us; and we preached both to Jews and Gentiles, that he is the Christ of God, who is determined by him to be the Judge of the living and the dead. To him did Moses bear witness, saying, The Lord received fire from the Lord, and rained it down. Him Jacob saw as a man, and said, I have seen God face to face, and my soul is preserved. Him Abraham entertained, and acknowledged to be the Judge and his own Lord. Him Moses saw in the bush. Concerning him he said in Deuteronomy, A Prophet will the Lord your God raise up unto you out of your brethren, like unto me. Him shall ye hear in all things, whatsoever he shall say unto you. And it shall be, that every soul that will not hear that Prophet shall be destroyed from among his people. Him did Joshua, the son of Nun, see, as the captain of the Lord’s host, in armor, for his assistance against Jericho; to whom he fell down and worshipped, as a servant doth to his master. Him Samuel knew, as the anointed of God, and thence named the priests and the kings the anointed. Him David knew, and sung a hymn concerning him, saying, A song concerning the Beloved; and, addressing it to his person, he said, Gird thy sword upon thy thigh, thou who art mighty, in thy beauty and renown. Go on and prosper, and reign, for the sake of truth, and meekness, and righteousness; and thy right hand shall guide thee after a wonderful manner. Thy darts are sharp, thou that art mighty, the people shall fall under thee, in the heart of the King’s enemies. Wherefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows. Concerning him spake Solomon, as in his person: The Lord created me the beginning of his ways, for his glorics. Before the world he founded me; in the beginning, before he made the earth, before the fountains of waters came, before the mountains were fastened, before all the hills, he begat me.
And again, Wisdom built herself a house. Concerning him also Isaiah said: A branch shall come out of the root of Jesse; and a flower shall spring out of his root. And there shall be a root of Jesse, and he that is to rise to reign over the Gentiles; in him shall the Gentiles trust. And Zechariah saith, Behold thy king cometh unto thee, just, and having salvation, meek, and riding upon an ass, even a colt, the foal of an ass. Him Daniel describeth as the Son of Man coming to the Father, and receiving all judgment and honor from him; and as the stone cut out of the mountain without hands, and becoming a great mountain, and filling the whole earth, dashing to pieces the many governments of the smaller countries, and the polytheism of the gods; but preaching the one God, and ordaining the monarchy of the Romans.
Concerning him also prophesieth Jeremiah, saying, The Spirit before his face, Christ the Lord, was taken in their snares, of whom we said, Under his shadow we shall live among the Gentiles. Ezekiel also, and the subsequent prophets, affirm everywhere that he is the Christ, the Lord, the King, the Judge, the Lawgiver, the Angel of the Father, the only-begotten God.
Him, therefore, do we also preach to you, and declare to be God the Word, who ministered to his God and Father for the creation of the universe. Believing in him, ye shall live; but not believing, ye shall be punished. For he that is disobedient to the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him.
Therefore, after ye have kept the festival of the Pentecost, keep festival one week more; and after that, fast one; for it is reasonable to rejoice for the gift of God, and to fast after that relaxation. For both Moses and Elias fasted forty days; and Daniel for three weeks of days did not eat desirable bread, and flesh and wine did not enter into his mouth; and blessed Hannah, when she asked for Samuel, said, I have not drunk wine, nor strong drink, and I pour out my soul before the Lord; and the Ninevites, when they fasted three days and three nights, escaped the execution of wrath. And Esther, and Mordecai, and Judith, by fasting escaped the insurrection of the ungodly Holofernes and Haman. And David saith, My knees are weak through fasting, and my flesh faileth for want of oil.
Do ye, therefore, fast, and ask your petitions of God. We enjoin you to fast every fourth day of the week, and every day of the Preparation; and what is saved by your fasting bestow upon the needy. Every Sabbath except one, and every Lord’s day, hold your religious assemblies, and rejoice; for he will be guilty of sin who fasteth on the Lord’s day, it being the day of the resurrection, or during the time of Pentecost, or, in general, who is sad on a festival day to the Lord; for then we ought to rejoice, and not to mourn.
END OF BOOK V
Chapter I -That it is highly commendable to receive orphans kindly, and adopt them
WHEN any Christian is left an orphan, whether a boy or a girl, it is good that someone of the brethren, who is without a child, should take the lad, and esteem him in the place of a son; and that he who hath a son of an age corresponding with that of the maid, should connect her with him, when she is marriageable. For they who do so, perform a great work, and become fathers to the orphans, and shall receive the reward of this charity from the Lord God.
But if anyone that walketh in the way of man-pleasing, being rich, is ashamed of the orphan members, the Father of orphans and Judge of widows will make provision for the orphan; but himself shall have such an heir as will spend what was laid up by his parsimony. And it shall happen to him according as it is said, What things the holy people have not eaten, those shall the Assyrians eat. As also Isaiah saith, Your land strangers devour it in your presence.
Chapter II – How the Bishop ought to provide for the orphans
Do ye, therefore, Bishops, be solicitous about their maintenance, being in nothing wanting to them; exhibiting to the orphans the care of parents, and to widows the care of husbands; to those of suitable age, marriage; to the artificer, work; to the unable, commiseration; to the strangers, a house; to the hungry, food; to the thirsty, drink; to the naked, clothing; to the sick, visitation; to the prisoners, assistance. Besides these, have a greater care of the orphans, that nothing may be wanting to them; to the maid, indeed, till she arrive at the age of marriage, and ye give her in marriage to a brother; and assist ye the lad, that he may learn a trade, and may be maintained by the advantage arising from it, that, when he is dexterous in its management, he may thereby be enabled to buy himself the tools of his trade, so that he may no longer burden any of the brethren, or their sincere love to him, but may support himself. For, certainly, he is a happy man who is able to support himself, and doth not take up the place of the orphan, the stranger, and the widow.
Chapter III – Who ought to be supported, according to the Lords Constitution
Since even the Lord said, that the giver is happier than the receiver. For it is again said by him, Woe to those that have, and receive in hypocrisy, or who are able to support themselves, yet will receive of others; for both of them shall give an account to the Lord God in the day of judgment. But an orphan, who, by reason of his youth, or he who by the feebleness of old age, or the incidence of a disease, or the bringing up of many children, receiveth alms, such a one shall not only not be blamed, but shall be commended. For he shall be esteemed an altar to God, and be honored by God, since he is zealously and constantly praying for those that give to him; not receiving idly, but to the utmost of his power recompensing by his prayer what is bestowed upon him. Such a one, therefore, shall be blessed by God in eternal life. But he that hath, and receiveth in hypocrisy or through idleness, instead of working, and assisting others, shall be obnoxious to punishment before God, because he hath snatched away the morsel of the needy.
Chapter IV – Concerning the love of money
For he that hath money, and doth not bestow it upon others, nor use it himself, is like the serpent, which, they say, sleepeth over the treasures; and of him is that Scripture true which saith, He hath gathered riches of which he shall not taste; and they will be of no use to him when he perisheth justly. For it saith, Riches will not profit in the day of wrath. For such a one hath not believed in God, but in his own gold; esteeming that his god, and trusting therein. Such a one is a dissembler of the truth, an accepter of persons, unfaithful, cheating, fearful, unmanly, light, of no value, a complainer, ever in pain, his own enemy, and nobody’s friend. Such a person’s money shall perish, and a man that is a stranger shall consume it, either by theft, while he is alive, or by inheritance, when he is dead. For riches unjustly gotten shall be vomited up.
Chapter V – With what fear men ought to partake of the Lord’s oblations
We exhort, therefore, the widows and orphans to partake of those things that are bestowed upon them, with all fear and all pious reverence, and to return thanks to God, who giveth food to the needy, and lift up their eyes to him. For the Scripture saith, Who of you shalt eat or who shalt drink without him? For he openeth his hand, and filleth every living thing with his kindness; giving wheat to the young men, and wine to the maidens, and oil for the joy of the living, grass for the cattle, and green herb for the service of men, flesh for the wild beasts, seeds for the birds, and suitable food for all creatures. Wherefore the Lord saith, Consider the fowls of heaven, that they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns, and your Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? Be not therefore solicitous, saying, What shall we eat? or what shall we drink? For your Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.
Since ye therefore enjoy such a providential care from him, and are partakers of the good things that are derived from him, ye ought to return praise to Him that receiveth the orphan and the widow, to Almighty God, through his beloved Son, Jesus Christ our Lord; through whom glory be to God in spirit and truth, forever. Amen.
Chapter VI – Whose oblations are to be received, and whose are not to be received
Now it behooveth the Bishop to know whose oblations he ought to receive, and whose he ought not. For he is to avoid corrupt dealers, and not receive their gifts. For a corrupt dealer shall not be justified from sin. For of them it was that Isaiah reproached Israel, and said, Thy corrupt dealers mingle wine with water. He is also to avoid fornicators; for, Thou shalt not offer the hire of a harlot to the Lord. He is also to avoid extortioners, and those that covet other men’s goods, and adulterers; for the sacrifices of such as these are abominable with God: also those that oppress the widow, and overbear the orphan, and fill prisons with the innocent, and abuse their own servants wickedly, I mean with stripes, and hunger, and hard service; nay, destroy whole cities. Do thou, Bishop, avoid such as these, and their odious oblations.
Thou shalt also refuse rogues, and such advocates as plead on the side of injustice, and idol-makers, and thieves, and unjust publicans, and those that deceive by false balances and deceitful measures, and a soldier that is a false accuser, and not content with his wages, but doeth violence to the needy; a murderer, an executioner, and an unjust judge, a subverter of causes, him that lieth in wait for men, a worker of abominable wickedness, a drunkard, a blasphemer, a Sodomite, an usurer, and every one that is vicious and opposeth the will of God. For the Scripture saith that with God all such as these are abominable. Those that receive from such persons, and thereby support the widows and the orphans, shall be obnoxious to the tribunal of God; as Adonias the prophet, in the book of Kings, when he disobeyed God, and both ate bread and drank water in the place which the Lord had forbidden him, because of the wickedness of Jeroboam, was slain by a lion.
For the bread which is distributed to the widows from labor is better, though it be short and little, than that from injustice and false accusation, though it be much and fine. For the Scripture saith, Better is a little to the righteous, than great riches of the sinners. Now, although a widow who eateth and is filled from the wicked, pray for them, she shall not be heard; for God, who knoweth the heart, with judgment hath declared concerning the unrighteous, saying, If Moses and Samuel stand before my face in their behalf, I will not hear them. And, Pray thou not for this people, and do not ask mercy for them, and do not intercede with me for them; for I will not hear thee.
Chapter VII – That the oblations of the unworthy, while they are such, do not only not propitiate God, but, on the contrary, provoke him to indignation
And not these only, but those that are in sin, and have not repented, will not only not be heard when they pray, but will provoke God to anger, as putting him in mind of their own wickedness. Avoid, therefore, such ministrations, as you would the price of a dog, and the hire of a harlot; for both of them are forbidden in the laws. For neither did Elisha receive the presents of Kings, which were brought by Hazael, nor Ahijah those from Jeroboam. If now the prophets of God did not admit of presents from the ungodly, it is reasonable, Bishops, that neither should you. Nay, when Simon the magician offered money to me, Peter, and John, and endeavored to obtain the invaluable grace by purchase, we did not admit it, but bound him with everlasting maledictions, because he thought to possess the gift of God, not by a pious mind towards God, but by the price of money.
Avoid, therefore, such oblations to God’s altar as are not from a good conscience. For saith he, Abstain from all injustice, and thou shalt not fear, and trembling shall not come nigh thee.
Chapter VIII – That it is better to present to the widows from our own labors, though it be inconsiderable and few contributions, than to present those which are many and large, received from the ungodly; For it is better to perish by famine than to receive an oblation from the ungodly
But if ye say that those who give alms are such as these, and if we do not receive from them, whence shall we administer to the widows? and whence shall the poor among the people be maintained? Ye shall hear from us that for this purpose ye have received the gift of the Levites, the oblations of your people, that ye might have enough for yourselves, and for those that are in want, and that ye might not be so straitened as to receive from the wicked. But if the churches be so straitened, it is better to perish, than to receive anything from the enemies of God, to the reproach and abuse of his friends. For of such as these the prophet speaketh, Let not the oil of a sinner moisten my head.
Be ye therefore examiners of such persons, and receive from such as walk piously, and supply the afflicted. But receive not from those that are excommunicated, until they are thought worthy to become members of the church; but, if a gift be wanting, inform the brethren, and make a collection from them; and thence minister to the orphans and widows in righteousness.
Chapter IX – That the people ought to be exhorted by the Priest to do good to the
needy, as saith Solomon the Wise
Say unto the people under thee what Solomon the Wise saith, Honor the Lord out of thy just labors, and pay thy first-fruits to him out of thy fruits of righteousness, that thy garners may be filled with fulness of wheat, and thy presses may burst out with wine. Therefore maintain and clothe those that are in want, from the righteous labor of the faithful. And the sums of money collected, as we have before said, from them, appoint to be laid out in the redemption of the saints, the deliverance of slaves, and of captives, and of prisoners, and of those that have been abused, and of those who by tyrants have been condemned to single combat and death. For the Scripture saith, Deliver those that are led to death, and redeem those that are ready to be slain, do not spare.
Chapter X – A Constitution, that if anyone of the ungodly force will cast money to the Priests, they spend it in wood and coals, but not in food
But if at any time ye be forced unwillingly to receive money from any ungodly person, lay it out in wood and coals, that so neither the widow nor the orphan may receive any of it, or be under the necessity of buying with it either food or drink, which it is unfit to do. For it is reasonable that such gifts of the ungodly be fuel for fire, and not food for the pious. And this method is plainly appointed by the Law, when it calleth a sacrifice kept too long a thing not fit to be eaten, and commandeth it to be consumed with fire. For such oblations are not evil in their nature, but on account of the mind of those that bring them. And this we ordain, that we may not repel those who come to us; for we know that intercourse with the pious hath often been very profitable to the ungodly, but that only religious communion with them is hurtful. Let so much, therefore, be spoken to you, beloved, in order to your security.
Chapter XI – Of Parents and Children
Ye fathers, educate your children in the Lord, bringing them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord; and teach them such trades as are agreeable and suitable to the Word, lest they, becoming extravagant through opportunity, and remaining without correction from their parents, having had their liberty prematurely, break away from virtue. Wherefore be not afraid to reprove them, and to teach them wisdom with severity. For your corrections will not kill them, but rather preserve them. As Solomon saith some where in the book of Wisdom, Chasten thy son, and he will refresh thee; so wilt thou have good hope of him. Thou verily shalt smite him with the rod, and shalt deliver his soul from death. And again saith the same Solomon thus: He that spareth his rod hateth his son; and afterwards, Beat his sides while he is an infant, lest he be hardened, and disobey thee.
He, therefore, who neglecteth to admonish and instruct his son, hateth his own child. Do ye, therefore, teach your children the Word of the Lord. Moreover, bring them under, even with stripes, and make them subject from their infancy, teaching them the Holy Scriptures, both ours and divine, and delivering to them every sacred writing, not giving such liberty that they get the mastery, and act against your judgment; not permitting them to club together for a drinking party with their equals. For so they will be turned to disorderly courses, and will fall into fornication; and if this happen by the carelessness of their parents, those that begat them will be guilty of their souls. For if the offending children get into the company of debauched persons, by the negligence of those that begat them, they will not be punished alone; but their parents also will be condemned on their account. For this cause, endeavor, at the time when they are of an age fit for marriage, to join them in wedlock, and settle them together, lest, in the heat and fervor of their age, their course of life become dissolute, and ye be required by the Lord God to give an account in the day of judgment.
Chapter XII – Of Servants and Masters
But as to servants, what can we say more, than that the servant bring a good will to his master, with the fear of God, although he be impious and wicked; yet, indeed, let him not yield any compliance as to his worship. And let the master love his servant. Although he be his superior, let him consider wherein they are equal, even as he is a man. And he that hath a believing master, the master’s authority being preserved, let him love him, both as his master, and as of the same faith, and as a father; not as an eye-servant, but as a lover of his master, as knowing that God will recompense him for his service. In like manner, let a master who hath a believing servant, the service being continued, love him as a son, or as a brother, on account of their communion in the faith.
Chapter XIII – In what things we ought to be subject to the rulers of this world
Be ye subject to all royal power and dominion, in things that are pleasing to God, as to the ministers of God, and the punishers of the wicked. Render all the fear that is due to them, all offerings, all customs, all honor, gifts and taxes. For this is God’s command, that ye owe nothing to anyone, but the pledge of love, which God hath commanded by Christ.
Chapter XIV – Concerning Virgins
Concerning virginity we have received no commandment; but we leave it to the power of those that are willing, as a vow; exhorting them so far in this matter, that they do not promise anything rashly; since Solomon saith, It is better not to vow, than to vow and not pay.
Let such a virgin, therefore, be holy in body and soul, as a temple of God, as a house of Christ, as a habitation of the Holy Spirit. For she that voweth ought to do such works as are suitable to her vow; and to show that her vow is real, and made on account of leisure for piety, not to cast a reproach on marriage. Let her not be a gadder abroad, nor one that rambleth about unseasonably; not double-minded; but grave, continent, sober, pure, avoiding the conversation of many, and especially of those that are of ill reputation.
END OF BOOK IV
BOOK V – CONCERNING MARTYRS.
Chapter I – That it is reasonable for the faithful to supply, according to the constitution of the Lord, the wants of those who, by the unbelievers, are afflicted for the sake of Christ
IF any Christian, on account of the name of Christ, and love and faith towards God, be condemned by the ungodly to the games, to the beasts, or to the mines, neglect him not; but send to him from your labor and your very sweat, for his sustenance, and for a reward to the soldiers, that he may be eased, and be taken care of, that, as far as lieth in your power, your blessed brother may not be afflicted. For he that is condemned for the name of the Lord God is a holy martyr, a brother of the Lord, a son of the Highest, a receptacle of the Holy Spirit (by whom every one of the faithful hath received the illumination of the glory of the holy Gospel), in being accounted worthy of the incorruptible crown, and the testimony of Christ’s sufferings, and the fellowship of his blood, that he might be made conformable to the death of Christ, and be adopted as a child.
For this cause, all ye of the faithful, by your Bishop, minister to the saints from your substance and from your labor. But if anyone hath not, let him fast a day, and set apart what is thus saved, and order it for the saints. If, however, anyone hath abundance, let him minister more to them, according to the proportion of his ability. But, if he can possibly sell all his livelihood, and redeem them out of prison, he will be blessed, and a friend of Christ. For if he that giveth his goods to the poor be perfect, after a knowledge of divine things, much rather is he that giveth them on account of the martyrs. For such a one is worthy of God, and will do his will by supplying those who have confessed him before nations and kings, and the children of Israel; concerning whom our Lord declared, saying, Whosoever shall confess me before men, him will I also confess before my Father. And if these be such as to be attested to by Christ before his Father, ye ought not to be ashamed to go to them in the prisons. For if ye do this, it will be esteemed to you for a testimony; because their testimony was what they actually experienced, and yours will be your zealous good will, as being partakers of their combat. For the Lord speaketh somewhere to such as these, saying, Come , ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry, and ye gave me to eat; I was thirsty., and ye gave me drink. I was a stranger, and ye took me in; naked, and ye clothed me. I was sick, and ye visited me. I was in prison, and ye came unto me. Then shall the righteous answer, and say, Lord, when saw we thee hungry, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw we thee naked, and clothed thee? or sick, and visited thee? When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or in prison, and came unto thee? And he will ansiver and say unto them, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. And these shall go away into life everlasting. Then shall he say unto them on his left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry, and ye gave me no food. I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink. I was a stranger, and ye took me not in; naked, and ye clothed me not; sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not. Then shall they also ansiver and say, ‘When saw we thee hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee? Then shall he answer and say unto them, Verily, I say unto you, inasmuch as ye have not done it unto one of the least of these, neither have ye done it unto me. And these shall go away into everlasting punishment.
Chapter II – That we are to avoid intercourse with false brethren, when they continue in their perversity
But if anyone who calleth himself a brother is seduced by the evil one, and doeth wickedness, and is convicted, and condemned to death, as an adulterer or a murderer, depart from him, that ye may be secure, and none of you may be suspected as a partner in the abominable crime, and that no evil report may be spread abroad, as if all Christians took a pleasure in unlawful actions. Wherefore, keep far from them. But with all diligence assist those who, for the sake of Christ, are abused by the ungodly, and shut up in prison, or who are given over to death, or bonds, or banishment, in order to deliver your fellow-members from wicked hands. And if anyone who accompanieth with them is taken, and falleth under ill-treatment, blessed is he; because he is partaker with the martyr, and is one that imitateth the sufferings of Christ. For we ourselves also, when we often received stripes from Caiaphas, and Alexander, and Annas, went out rejoicing that we were counted worthy to suffer such things for our Saviour. Do ye also rejoice when ye suffer such things: for ye shall be blessed in that day.
Chapter III -That we ought to afford a helping hand to such as are plundered for the sake of Christ, although we should incur danger ourselves
Receive also those that are persecuted on account of the faith, and that flee from city to city on account of the Lord’s commandment; and assist them as martyrs, rejoicing that ye are made partakers of their persecution, knowing that they are declared by our Lord to be blessed. For himself saith, Blessed are ye when men shall reproach you, and persecute you, and say all manner of evil against you falsely for my sake. Rejoice and be exceeding glad, because your reward is great in heaven; for so persecuted they the prophets who were before us. And again, If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; and afterwards, If they persecute you in this city, flee ye to another. For in the world ye have tribulation; for they shall deliver you into the synagogues, and ye shall be brought before rulers and kings for my sake, and for a testimony to them. And, He that endureth unto the end, the same shall be saved. For he that is persecuted for the sake of the faith, and beareth witness to Christ, and endureth, this person is truly a man of God.
Chapter IV – That it is a horrible and destructive thing to deny Christ
But he that denieth his being Christ’s, that he may not be hated of men, and so loveth his own life more than the Lord, in whose hand his breath is, this person is wretched and miserable, as being detestable and abominable, who desireth to be the friend of men, but is the enemy of God, having no longer his portion with the saints, but with those that are accursed; choosing, instead of the kingdom of the blessed, that eternal fire which is prepared for the devil and his angels; not being any longer hated by men, but rejected by God, and cast out from his presence. For of such a one our Lord declared, saying, Whosoever shall deny me before men, and shall be ashamed of my name, I also will deny and be ashamed of him before my Father who is in heaven.
And again, he speaketh thus to ourselves, his disciples, He that loveth father or mother more than me, is not worthy of me; and he that loveth son or daughter more than me, is not worthy of me; and he that taketh not My cross and followeth after me, is not worthy of me. He that findeth his life shall lose it, and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it. For what is a man profited if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? And afterwards, Fear not them that kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.
Chapter V – That we ought to imitate Christ in suffering, and with zeal to follow his patience
Every one, therefore, who learneth any art, when he seeth his master, by his diligence and skill, perfecting his art, doth himself earnestly endeavor to make what he taketh in hand, similar to the article made by his master. If he is not able, he is not perfected in his work. We, therefore, who have a Master, our Lord Jesus Christ, why do we not follow his doctrine? Since he renounced repose, pleasure, glory, riches, pride, the power of revenge, his mother and brethren, nay, and moreover, his own life, on account of his piety towards his Father, and his love to us, the human family; and suffered not only persecution and stripes, reproach and mockery, but also crucifixion, that he might save the penitent, both Jews and Gentiles. If, therefore, he, for our sake, renounced his repose, was not ashamed of the cross, and did not esteem death inglorious, why do we not imitate his sufferings, and renounce, on his account, even our own life, with that patience which he giveth us? For he did all for our sake, but we for our own sake; for he doth not stand in need of us, but we stand in need of his mercy. He requireth only the sincerity and readiness of our faith, as saith the Scripture, If thou art righteous, what dost thou give to him? or what will he receive at thy hand? Thy wickedness is to a man like thyself, and thy righteousness is to a son of man.
Chapter VI – That a believer ought neither rashly to run into danger, through security; nor to be over-timorous, through pusillanimity; but to fly away for fear; yet, if he fall into the enemy’s hand, to strive earnestly on account of the crown that is laid up for him
Let us therefore renounce our parents, and kinsmen, and friends, and wife, and children, and possessions, and all the enjoyments of life, when any of these things become an impediment to piety. For we ought to pray that we may not enter into temptation; but, if we be called to martyrdom, with constancy to confess his precious name; and if, on this account, we be punished, let us rejoice, as hastening to immortality. When we are persecuted, let us not think it strange. Let us not love the present world, nor the praises which come from men, nor the glory and honor of rulers; as some of the Jews wondered at the mighty works of our Lord, yet did not believe on him, for fear of the high priests and the rest of the rulers. For they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.
But now, by avowing a good confession, we not only save our selves, but we confirm those who are newly illuminated, and strengthen the faith of the catechumens. But, if we remit any part of our confession, and deny godliness by the faintness of our persuasion, and the fear of a very short punishment, we not only deprive ourselves of everlasting glory, but we shall also become the causes of the perdition of others; and shall suffer double punishment, as affording suspicion, by our denial, that that truth in which we gloried so much before is an erroneous doctrine.
Wherefore, neither let us be rash and hasty to thrust ourselves into dangers; for the Lord saith, Pray that ye fall not into temptation; the spirit, indeed, is willing, but the flesh is weak; nor let us, when we do fall into dangers, be fearful or ashamed of our profession. For if a person, by the denial of his own hope, which is Jesus the Son of God, should be delivered from a temporary death, and the next day should fall dangerously sick upon his bed, with a malady in his bowels, his stomach, or his head, or any of the incurable diseases, as a consumption, or gangrene, or looseness, or iliac passion, or dropsy, or cholic, and have a sudden catastrophe, and depart this life; is he not deprived of the things present, and doth he not lose those which are eternal? Or, rather, is he not within the verge of eternal punishment, and gone into outer darkness, where shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth?
But he who is deemed worthy of the honor of martyrdom, let him rejoice with joy in the Lord, as obtaining thereby so great a crown, and departing out of this life by his confession. Nay, though he be but a catechumen, let him depart without trouble; for his suffering for Christ will be to him a more genuine baptism, because he dieth with Christ in reality, but the rest only in a figure. Let him therefore rejoice in the invitation of his Master; since it is thus ordained, Let every one be perfect, as his Master. Now, his and our Master, Jesus the Lord, was smitten for our sake. He under went reproaches and revilings, with long-suffering. He was spit upon; he was smitten on the face; he was buffeted; and when he had been scourged, he was nailed to the cross. He had vinegar and gall to drink; and when he had fulfilled all things that were written, he said to his God and Father, Into thy hands I commend my spirit. Wherefore, let him that desireth to be his disciple, earnestly follow his conflicts. Let him imitate his patience; knowing that, although he be burned in the fire by men, he will suffer nothing, as the three children; or, if he suffer anything, he shall receive a reward from the Lord, believing in the one and only true God and Father, through Jesus Christ, the great High Priest, and Redeemer of our souls, and Rewarder of our sufferings; to whom be glory forever. Amen.
Chapter VII – Several demonstrations concerning the Resurrection, concerning the
Sibyl, and what the Stoics say concerning the bird called Phoenix
For the Almighty God himself will raise us up through our Lord Jesus Christ, according to his infallible promise, and grant us a resurrection with all those that have slept from the beginning of the world. And we shall then be such as we now are, in our present form, without any defect or corruption; since we shall rise incorruptible. For whether we die at sea, or are scattered on the earth, or are torn to pieces by wild beasts and birds, he will raise us by his own power; because the whole world is held together by the hand of God. Moreover, he saith, A hair of your head shall not perish. Wherefore he exhorteth us, saying, In your patience possess ye your souls.
Besides, concerning the resurrection of the dead, and the recompense of reward for the martyrs, Gabriel saith to Daniel, And many of them that sleep shall arise out of the dust of the earth, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. And they that understand shall shine as the sun, and as the firmament, and as the stars. Therefore the most holy Gabriel foretold that the saints should shine like the stars; for his sacred name testified to them that they might understand the truth.
Nor is a resurrection declared only for the martyrs, but for all men, righteous and unrighteous, godly and ungodly, that every one may receive according to his desert. For God, saith the Scripture, will bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil. This resurrection was not believed by the Jews, when of old they said, Our bones are withered, and we are gone. To whom God answered, and said, Behold, I open your graves, and will bring you out of them, and will put my spirit into you; and ye shall live, and ye shall know that I, the Lord, have spoken it, and will do it. And he saith by Isaiah, The dead shall rise, and those that are in the graves shall be raised up. And those that rest in the earth shall rejoice; for the dew which is from thee shall be healing to them.
There are, indeed, many and various things said concerning the resurrection, and concerning the continuance of the righteous in glory, and concerning the punishment of the wicked, their fall, rejection, condemnation, shame, eternal fire, and endless worm. And that, if it had pleased him that all men should be immortal, it was in his power, he showed in the examples of Enoch and Elijah, while he did not suffer them to have any experience of death. Or, if it had pleased him in every generation to raise those that died, that this also he was able to do he hath made manifest both by himself and by others; as when he raised the widow’s son by Elijah, and the Shunamite’s son by Elisha.
But we are persuaded that death is not a retribution of punishment, because even the saints have undergone it; nay, even the Lord of the saints, Jesus Christ, the life of them that believe, and the resurrection of the dead. On this account, therefore, as if [to exhibit a spectacle] for those who live in a great city, after the combats he bringeth a dissolution for a little while, that, when he raiseth up everyone, he may either reject or crown him. For he that made the body of Adam out of the earth will raise up the bodies of the rest, and that of the first man, after the dissolution, to pay what is owing to the rational nature of man; we mean the continuance in being through all ages. He, therefore, who bringeth on the dissolution will himself also procure the resurrection. And he who said, The Lord took dust from the ground, and formed man, and breathed into his face the breath of life, and man became a living soul; and who added, after the disobedience, Earth thou art, and unto earth shalt thou return; himself promised us a resurrection afterwards, For, saith he, All that are in the graves shall hear the voice of the Son of God, and they that hear shall live.
Besides these arguments, we believe, even from the resurrection of our Lord, that there is to be a resurrection. For he himself who raised Lazarus, when he had been in the grave four days, and Jairus’s daughter, and the widow’s son; and who, by the command by the Father, raised himself in the space of three days, is the pledge of our resurrection. For, saith he, l am the resurrection and the life. He that brought Jonah, in the space of three days, alive and unhurt, out of the belly of the whale, and the three children out of the furnace of Babylon, and Daniel out of the mouth of the lions, will be in no want of power also to awake us.
But if the Gentiles laugh at us, and disbelieve our Scriptures, let at least their own prophetess, the Sibyl, oblige them to believe, who saith thus to them, in so many words:
But when all things shall be reduced to dust and ashes,
And the immortal God, who kindled the fire, shall have quenched it,
Bones and ashes God himself shall again form into a man,
And shall place mortals again as they were before.
And then, indeed, shall be a judgment, in which God himself will render justice,
Judging the world again; and whoever have impiously sinned,
These the earth again shall cover;
But all the pious shall live again in the world,
God giving spirit, life, and favor to them, the devout.
Then, moreover, all shall see themselves.
Orac. Sibyl B. IV. (end.)
If, therefore, this prophetess herself confesseth the resurrection, and doth not deny the restoration of all things, and distinguisheth the godly from the ungodly, it is in vain for them to deny our doctrine. Nay, indeed, they say they can show a resemblance of the resurrection (while they do not believe the things which they themselves declare). For they say that there is a bird, single in its kind, which affordeth a rich evidence of the resurrection. This bird, they affirm, is without a mate, and the only one in the creation. They call it a Phoenix, and relate that, every five hundred years, it cometh into Egypt, to what is called the altar of the sun, and bringeth with it a great quantity of cinnamon, and cassia, and balsam wood, and, standing towards the east, as they say, and praying to the sun, of its own accord, is burnt, and becometh dust; but that a worm ariseth again out of those ashes; and when this is warmed, it is formed into a new-born Phoenix; and when it is able to fly, it goeth to Arabia, which is beyond the Egyptian countries. If now, as even themselves say, a resurrection is exhibited by means of an irrational bird, why do they vainly disparage our accounts, when we profess that He who, by his power, bringeth that into being which was not in being before, is able also to restore this body, and raise it up again after its dissolution?
For, on account of this full assurance of hope, we undergo stripes, and persecutions, and deaths. Otherwise, we should to no purpose undergo such things, if we had not a full assurance of these promises, of which we profess ourselves to be the preachers. As, therefore, we believe Moses, when he saith, In the beginning God made the heaven and the earth; and we know that he was not in need of matter, but by his will alone brought those things into being which Christ was commanded to make; we mean the heaven, the earth, the sea, the light, the night, the day, the luminaries, the stars, the fowls, the fishes, the four-footed beasts, the creeping things, the plants, and the herbs; so also will he raise all men up by his will, not wanting any assistance. For it is the work of the same power to create the world and to raise the dead. And then he made man, who was not a man before, of different parts; giving to him a soul made out of nothing. But now he will restore the bodies, which have been dissolved, to the souls that are still in being; for the rising again belongeth to things laid down, not to things which have no being. The same Being, therefore, that made the original matter out of nothing, and out of it formed various bodies, will also vivify and again raise up those that are dead.
For he that formed man in the womb out of a little seed, and created in him a soul which was not in being before, as himself somewhere saith to Jeremiah, Before I formed thee in the womb, I knew thee; and elsewhere, I am the Lord who established the heaven, and laid the foundations of the earth, and formed the spirit of man in him; he himself will also raise up all men, as being his workmanship; as also the divine Scripture testifieth that God said to Christ, his only-begotten, Let us make man after our image, and after our likeness. And God made man; after the image of God made he him; male and female made he them. And the most divine and patient Job, of whom the Scripture saith, It is written that he shall rise again with those whom the Lord raiseth up, thus addresseth God: Hast thou not milked me like milk, and curdled me like cheese? Thou hast clothed me with skin and flesh, and hast formed me with bones and sinews. Thou hast granted me life and favor, and thy visitation hath preserved my spirit. Having these things within me, I know that thou canst do all things, and that nothing is impossible with thee. Wherefore, also, our Saviour and Master, Jesus Christ, saith, that what is impossible with men is possible with God. And David, the beloved of God, saith, Thy hands have made me, and fashioned me. And again, Thou knowest my frame; and afterwards, Thou hast fashioned me, and laid thy hand upon me. The knowledge of thee is declared to be too wonderful for me. It is very great; I cannot attain unto it. Thine eyes did see my substance, being yet imperfect; and all men shall be written in thy look. But also Isaiah saith in his prayer to him, We are the clay, and thou art the Framer of us. If, therefore, man be his workmanship, made by Christ, by him most certainly will he, after he is dead, be raised again, for the purpose of being either crowned for his good actions, or punished for his transgressions. But if, being the lawgiver, he judgeth with righteousness, as he punisheth the wicked, so doth he do good to and save the faithful. And those saints who, for his sake, have been slain by men, some of them he will cause to shine as the stars, and others he will make bright as the luminaries; as Gabriel said to Daniel.
All we of the faithful, therefore, who are the disciples of Christ, believe his promises. For he that hath promised, cannot lie. But, saith the blessed prophet David, The Lord is faithful in all his words, and holy in all his works. For he that framed for himself a body out of a virgin, is also the Former of other men. And he that raised himself from the dead, will also raise again all that are lying in death. He who raiseth wheat out of the ground, with many stalks from one grain; he who maketh the tree that is cut down, send forth fresh branches; he who made Aaron’s dry rod put forth buds, will himself also raise us up in glory. He who raised up to perfect health him that had the palsy, and healed him that had the withered hand; he who, from clay and spittle, supplied a defective part to him who was born blind, the same will also raise us up. He that satisfied five thousand men with five loaves and two fishes, and caused a remainder of twelve baskets; and out of the water made wine, and sent a piece of money out of a fish’s mouth, by me Peter, to those who demanded tribute; he also will raise the dead. For we testify all these things concerning him, and the prophets testify the other.
We, who have eaten and drunk with him, and have been spectators of his wonderful works, and of his life, and of his deportment, and of his words, and of his sufferings, and of his death, and of his resurrection from the dead, and who conversed with him forty days after his resurrection, and who received a command from him to preach the Gospel to all the world, and to make disciples of all nations, and to baptize them into his death, by the authority of the God of the universe, who is his Father; and by the testimony of the Spirit, who is the Comforter, we teach you all these things which he appointed us by his constitutions, before he was received up in our sight into heaven, to him that sent him. And if ye will believe, ye shall be happy; but if ye will not believe, we shall be found innocent, and clear from your incredulity.
Chapter VIII – Concerning James, the brother of the Lord, and Stephen, the first Martyr
Now, concerning the martyrs, we say to you, that they are to be held in all honor with you, as we honor the blessed James, the Bishop, and the holy Stephen, our fellow-servant. For these are accounted by God to be blessed, and are honored by holy men, as being pure from all transgressions, immovable, when tempted to sin, or persuaded from good works; undoubtedly entitled to encomiums. Of whom also David said, Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his holy ones; and Solomon, The memory of the just is with praise. Of whom also the prophet said, Righteous men are taken away.
Chapter IX – Concerning False Martyrs
These things we have said concerning those who, in truth, have been martyrs for Christ, but not concerning false martyrs, concerning whom the oracle saith, The name of the wicked is extinguished. For, A faithful witness will not lie, but an unfaithful witness inflameth lies. For he that departeth this life in testimony for the truth, without falsification, is a faithful martyr, worthy to be believed in those things in which he strove, by his own blood, for the word of piety.
Chapter X – A moral admonition that we are to abstain from vain talking, obscene talking, jesting, drunkenness, lasciviousness, and luxury
Moreover, we exhort you, brethren and fellow-servants, to avoid vain talk, and obscene discourses, and jesting, drunkenness, lasciviousness, luxury, and unbounded passions, with foolish talking; since neither on the Lord’s days, which are days of joy, do we permit you to speak or act anything unseemly. For the Scripture somewhere saith, Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice unto him with trembling. Even your very rejoicings, therefore, ought to be done with fear and trembling. For a Christian who is faithful ought neither to repeat a heathen hymn, nor an obscene song; because he will be obliged, by that hymn, to make mention of the idolatrous names of demons; and, instead of the Holy Spirit, the wicked one will enter into him.
Chapter XI – An admonition, instructing men to avoid the abominable sin of Idolatry
Ye are also forbidden to swear by them, or to utter their abominable names through your mouth, and to worship them, or fear them as Gods; for they are not gods, but either wicked demons, or the ridiculous contrivances of men. For somewhere God saith concerning the Israelites, They have forsaken me, and sworn by them that are no gods; and afterwards, I will take away the names of the idols out of their mouth; and elsewhere, They have provoked me to jealousy with them that are no gods; they have provoked me to anger with their idols. And in all the Scriptures these things are forbidden by the Lord God.
Chapter XII – That we ought not to sing a heathen or an obscene song; nor to swear by an idol, because it is an impious thing, and contrary to the knowledge of God
But not only concerning idols do our holy statutes give us prohibitions, but also concerning the luminaries. They admonish us not to swear by them, nor to serve them. For they say, Lest when thou seest the sun and the moon, and the stars, thou shouldst be seduced to worship them; and elsewhere, Learn not to walk after the ways of the heathen, and be not afraid of the signs of heaven. For the stars and the luminaries were given to men to shine upon them, but not for worship; although the Israelites, by the perverseness of their temper, worshipped the creature instead of the Creator, and became injurious to their Maker, and admired the creature more than was fit. And sometimes they made a calf in the wilderness; sometimes they worshipped Baal-peor; another time, Baal, and Thammuz, and Astarte of Sidon; and again, Moloch and Chamos; another time, the sun, as it is written in Ezekiel; nay, and besides, irrational creatures, as, amongst the Egyptians, apes and the Mendesian goat; and gods of silver and gold, as in Judea. On account of all which things, he threatened them, and said by the prophet, Is it a small thing to the house of Judah to do these abominations, which they have done? For they have filled the land with their wickedness, to provoke me to anger. And behold, they are as those that mock. But I will act with anger; mine eye shall not spare, nor will I have mercy. And they shall cry in mine ears with a great voice, and I will not hearken unto them.
Consider, beloved, how manythings the Lord declareth against idolaters, and the worshippers of the sun and moon. Wherefore it is the duty of a man of God, as he is a Christian, not to swear by the sun, nor by the moon, nor by the stars, nor by the heaven, nor by the earth, nor by any of the elements, whether small or great. For if our Master charged us not to swear by the true God, that our word might be firmer than an oath, nor by heaven itself, for that is a heathenish impiety, nor by Jerusalem, nor by the sanctuary of God, nor the altar, nor the gift, nor the gilding of the altar, nor one’s own head; for this custom is a piece of Jewish corruption, and on that account it was forbidden; and if he enjoined upon the faithful that their yea be yea, and their nay nay; and said that what is more than these is of the evil one; how much more blamable are those who appeal to deities falsely so called, as the objects of an oath, and who glorify imaginary beings instead of those that are real! whom God, for their perverseness, delivered over to foolishness, to do those things that are not convenient.
Chapter XIII – A catalogue of the feasts of the Lord which are to be kept; and
when each of them ought to observed
Brethren, observe the festival days, and first indeed the birth-day of our Lord, which is to be celebrated by you on the twenty-fifth of the ninth month. After which, let Epiphany be to you the most honorable, in which the Lord made to us a manifestation of his own divinity; but let this festival be observed on the sixth of the tenth month. Subsequently the Quadragesimal fast (Lent) is to be observed by you, as containing a memorial both of our Lord’s deportment and of his legislation. But let this fast be observed before the fast of the Passover, beginning from the second day of the week, and ending at the day of the Preparation. After which solemnities, breaking off your fast, begin the Holy Week of the Passover, fasting in the same all of you with fear and trembling, praying in those days for the perishing.
Chapter XIV – the Passion of our Lord, and what was done on each day of his sufferings; and concerning Judas; and that Judas was not present when the Lord delivered the mysteries to his disciples
For they began to hold a council against the Lord on the second day of the week, in the first month, which is Xanthicus; and the deliberation continued on the third day of the week; but on the fourth day, they determined to take away his life by crucifixion. And Judas knowing this, who for a long time had been perverted, but was then smitten by the devil himself with the love of money, although he had long been entrusted with the purse, and used to steal what was set apart for the needy, yet was not cast off by the Lord, through much long-suffering. Besides, when we were once feasting with him, being willing both to bring him back to his duty, and to instruct us in his own foreknowledge, he said, Verily,verily, I say unto you, that one of you will betray me. And every one of us saying, Is it I? and the Lord being silent, I, who was one of the twelve, and more beloved by him than the rest, arose up from lying in his bosom, and besought him to tell who it should be that should betray him. Yet neither then did our gracious Lord declare his name, but gave two signs of the betrayer; one by saying, He that dippeth with me in the dish; and a second, To whom I shall give the sop when I have dipped it. Although even he said, Master, is it I?, the Lord did not say yes, but Thou hast said. And being willing to terrify him in the matter, he said, Woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed. Good were it for him if he had never been born. And having heard these things, he went away, and said to the priests, What will ye give me, and I will deliver him unto you? And they bargained with him for thirty pieces of silver. And the Scripture was fulfilled which saith, And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of him that was valued, whom they of the children of Israel did value, and gave them for the house of the potter.
And on the fifth day of the week, when we had eaten the Passover with him, and when Judas had dipped his hand into the dish, and received the sop, and was gone out by night, the Lord said to us, The hour is come that ye shall be dispersed, and shall leave me alone. And every one vehemently affirming that we would not forsake him, I, Peter, adding this promise that I would even die with him, he said, Verily I say unto thee, before the cock croweth, thou shalt thrice deny that thou knowest me. And when he had delivered to us the representative mysteries of his precious body and blood, Judas not being present with us, he went out to the Mount of Olives, near the brook Cedron, where there was a garden; and we were with him, and sang a hymn, according to the custom; and being separated from us, he prayed earnestly to his Father, saying, Father, remove this cup away from me; yet not my will, but thine, be done. And when he had done this thrice, while we out of despondency were fallen asleep, he came and said, The hour is come, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.
And behold, Judas, and with him a multitude of ungodly men, to whom he showeth the signal by which he was to betray him, a deceitful kiss. But they, when they had received the signal agreed on, took hold of the Lord; and, having bound him, they led him to the house of Caiaphas, the high priest, in which were assembled many, not the people, but a rabble, not a holy council of elders, but an assembly of the wicked, and senate of the ungodly, who did manythings against him, and left no kind of injury untried, spitting upon him, deriding him, beating him, smiting him on the face, reviling him, tempting him, seeking vain divination instead of true prophecies from him, calling him a deceiver, a transgressor of Moses, a destroyer of the temple, a taker away of sacrifices, an enemy to the Romans, an adversary to Caesar. And these reproaches did these bulls and dogs, in their madness, cast upon him, till it was very early in the morning; and then they led him away to Annas, who was father-in-law to Caiaphas; and when they had done the like things to him there, it being the day of the Preparation, they delivered him to Pilate, the Roman governor, accusing him of many and great things, none of which they could prove.
Upon which, the governor, being out of patience with them, said, I find no cause against him. But they brought two false witnesses, and wished thus to substantiate a slanderous accusation against him; but, these being found disagreeing, they referred the matter to loyalty, saying, This fellow saith that he is a king, and forbiddeth to give tribute to Caesar. And themselves became accusers, and witnesses, and judges, and authors of the sentence, saying Crucify him, crucify him; that it might be fulfilled which is written by the prophets concerning him, Unjust witnesses were gathered together against me, and in justice lied to itself. And again, Many dogs compassed me about; the assembly of the wicked laid siege against me. And elsewhere, My heritage hath become to me as a lion in a forest, and hath sent forth her voice against me. Pilate, therefore, disgracing his authority by his pusillanimity, convicteth himself of wickedness, by regarding the multitude more than this just person, and bearing witness to him as innocent, yet delivering him up, as guilty, to the punishment of the cross; although the Romans had made laws that no man unconvicted should be put to death.
But the executioners took the Lord of glory, and nailed him to the cross, crucifying him indeed at the tenth hour, but having received the sentence of his condemnation at the third hour. After this they gave him vinegar to drink, mingled with gall. Then they divided his garments by lot. Then they crucified two malefactors with him, on each side one, that it might be fulfilled which was written, They gave me gall to eat; and when I was thirsty, they gave me vinegar to drink. And again, They divided my garments among themselves, and upon my vesture they have cast lots. And in another place, And I was reckoned with the transgressors. Then there was darkness for three hours, from the sixth to the ninth, and again light in the evening; as it is written, It shall not be day nor night; and at the evening there shall be light.
All which things when those malefactors saw that were crucified with him, one of them reproached him, as though he was weak, and unable to deliver himself; but the other rebuked the ignorance of his companion, and, turning to the Lord, as being enlightened by him, and acknowledging who he was that suffered, he prayed that he would remember him in his kingdom hereafter. The Lord then immediately granted him the forgiveness of his former sins, and brought him into Paradise to enjoy the mystical good things. He also, about the ninth hour, cried out and said to his Father, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? And a little afterwards, when he had cried with a loud voice, Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do; and had added, Into thy hands I commend my spirit, he gave up the ghost; and, before sunset, he was buried in a new sepulchre.
But when the first day of the week dawned, he arose from the dead, and fulfilled those things which before his passion he foretold to us, saying, The Son of Man must continue in the heart of the earth three days and three nights. And when he was risen from the dead, he appeared first to Mary Magdalen, and Mary the mother of James; then to Cleopas in the way; and, after that, to us his disciples, who had fled away for fear of the Jews, but privately were very inquisitive concerning him. But these things are also written in the Gospel. Of the Great Week; and on what account they enjoin us to fast on Wednesday and Friday.
He therefore himself charged us to fast these six days, on account of the impiety and transgression of the Jews; commanding us to mourn over them, and lament for their perdition. For even he himself wept over them, because they knew not the time of their visitation. But he commanded us to fast on the fourth day of the week (Wednesday), and on the Preparation (Friday), the former on account of his being betrayed, and the latter on account of his Passion. But he appointed us to break our fast on the seventh day at the cock-crowing, but to fast during the Sabbath itself; not that the Sabbath is a day of fasting, it being the rest from the creation, but because we ought to fast this one Sabbath only, while on this day the Creator was yet under the earth. For on their very Feast day they apprehended the Lord, that that oracle might be fulfilled which saith, They placed their signs in the middle of their feast, and knew them not. Ye ought, therefore, to mourn over them, because when the Lord came they did not believe on him, but rejected his doctrine, judging themselves unworthy of salvation.
Consequently, ye are blessed, who once were not a people, but are now a holy nation, delivered from the deceit of idols, from ignorance, from impiety; who once had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy, through your hearty obedience. For to you, the converted Gentiles, is opened the gate of life, who formerly were not beloved, but are now beloved; a people ordained for the possession of God, to show forth his virtues; concerning whom our Saviour said, I was found of them that sought me not; 1 was made manifest to them that asked not after me. I said, Behold me, to a nation that did not call upon my name. For when they did not seek after him, then were they sought for by him; and ye who have believed in him have hearkened to his call, and have left the madness of polytheism, and have fled to the true monarchy, to Almighty God, through Christ Jesus, and are become the completion of the number of the saved, Ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands; as it is written in David, A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand. And again, The chariots of God are by tens of thousands, and thousands of the prosperous. But to unbelieving Israel he saith, All the day long have I stretched out my hands to a disobedient and gainsaying people, which go in a way that is not good, hit after their own sins; a people provoking me before my face.
Chapter XVI – An enumeration of the prophetical predictions which declare Christ; whose completion though the Jews saw, yet, out of the evil temper of their mind, they did not believe he was the Christ of God, and condemned the Lord of glory to the cross
See how the people provoked the Lord by not believing in him. Therefore he saith, They provoked the Holy Spirit, and he was turned to be their enemy. For blindness is cast upon them by reason of the wickedness of their mind; because, when they saw Jesus, they did not believe him to be the Christ of God, who was before all ages begotten of him, his only-begotten Son, God the Word, whom they did not own, through their unbelief, neither on on account of his mighty works, nor yet on account of the prophecies which were written concerning him. For that he was to be born of a virgin, they read this prophecy, Behold a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel. For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, whose government is upon his shoulders; and his name is called the Angel of the great Council, the Wonderful Counsellor, the Mighty God, the Potentate, the Prince of Peace, the Father of the future age. Moreover, that through their exceedingly great wickedness, they would not believe in him, the Scripture saith, Lord, who hath believed our report? And to whom hath the arm of the Lord been revealed? And afterwards, Hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive; for the heart of this people is waxed gross.
Wherefore knowledge was taken from them, because seeing, they overlooked; and hearing, they heard not. But to you, the converted of the Gentiles, is the kingdom given, because ye, who knew not God, have believed by preaching, and have known him, or rather are known of him, through Jesus, the Saviour and Redeemer of those that hope in him. For ye are translated from your former vain and tedious customs, and have contemned the lifeless idols, and despised the demons which are in darkness, and have hastened to the true light, and by it have known the one and only true God and Father, and so are owned to be heirs of his kingdom. We have been baptized into the Lord’s death, and into his resurrection, as new-born babes, ye ought to be icon, wholly free from all sinful actions. For ye are not your own, but his that bought you with his own blood. For concerning the formar Israel, the Lord said, on account of their unbelief, that the kingdom of God shall be taken from them, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof; that is to say, that, having given the kingdom to you who were once for estranged from him, he expecteth the fruits of your gratitude and probity. For ye are those that were once sent into the vineyard, and did not obey, but these they that did obey; but ye have repented of your denial, and ye work therein now. But they, being uneasy on account of their own covenants, have not only left the vineyard uncultivated, but have also killed the stewards of the lord of the vineyard; one with stones, another with the sword; one they sawed asunder, another they slew in the holy place, between the temple and the altar; nay, at last they cast the heir himself out of the vineyard, and slew him. And by them he was rejected as an unprofitable stone; but by you he was received as a corner-stone. Wherefore he saith concerning you, A people whom I knew not have served me; and at the hearing of the ear they obeyed me.
Chapter XVII – How the Passover ought to be celebrated
Therefore, brethren, ye, who are redeemed by the precious blood of Christ, ought diligently to celebrate the days of the Passover, with all carefulness, after the equinox, that ye keep not the memorial of the one passion twice in a year, but once only in a year for him that died but once; no longer indeed scrupulously caring to celebrate the feast with the Jews; for with them we now have no fellowship. For they are deceived in respect to the computation itself, which they think to carry into effect; as on every side they are deceived, and are separated from the truth. But do ye regard attentively the vernal equinox, which occurreth on the twenty-second day of the twelfth month (which is March) , watching carefully until the twenty-first day of the moon, lest the fourteenth day of the moon fall on another week; and, an error being made, ye through ignorance celebrate the Passover twice in the year; or keep the feast commemorative of the resurrection of our Lord Jesus, on some other than the Lord’s day.
Chapter XVIII – A Constitution concerning the great Passover Week
In the days, therefore, of the Passover, fast, beginning from the second day of week until the Preparation and the Sabbath, six days; making use of only bread, and salt, and herbs, and water for your drink; but abstain from wine and flesh on these days; for they are days of lamentation, and not of feasting. Do ye who are able fast the day of the Preparation and the Sabbath entirely, tasting nothing till the cock-crowing of the night; but if anyone is not able to join them both together, at least let him retain the Sabbath; for the Lord saith somewhere, speaking of himself, When the bride-groom shall be taken away from them, in those days shall they fast. In these days, therefore, he was taken from the Jews, falsely so named, and fastened to the cross, and was numbered among the transgressors.
Chapter XIX – Concerning the watching all the night of the great Sabbath, and concerning the day of the Resurrection
Wherefore we exhort you to fast on those days, till the evening, as we also fasted when he was taken away from us. But on the rest of the days, before the day of the Preparation, let every one eat at the ninth hour, or at the evening, or as every one is able.
But on the Sabbath, extending the fast till cock-crowing, discontinue it at the dawning of the first day of the week, which is the Lord’s day. From the evening till cock-crowing keep awake, and assemble together in the church; watch, praying and entreating God; reading, when ye sit up all night, the Law, the Prophets, and the Psalms, until cock-crowing; and baptizing your catechumens, and reading the gospel with fear and trembling, and speaking to the people such things as tend to their salvation, put an end to your sorrow, and beseech God that Israel may be converted, and that he will allow them place of repentance, and the remission of their impiety. For the judge, who was a foreigner, washed his hands, and said, I am innocent of the blood of this just person: see ye to it. But Israel cried out, His blood be on us, and on our children. And when Pilate said, Shall I crucify your king? they cried We have no king but Caesar; crucify him, crucify him; forevery one that maketh himself a king, speaketh against Caesar. And, If thou let this man go, thou art not Caesar’s friend. And Pilate the governor, and Herod the king, commanded him to be crucified; and that oracle was fulfilled which saith, Why did the Gentiles rage, and the people imagine vain things? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the riders were gathered together against the Lord, and against his Christ. And, They cast away the beloved, as a dead man, who is abominable.
And since he was crucified on the day of the Preparation, and rose again at the break of day on the Lord’s day, the Scripture was fulfilled which saith, Arise, God, judge the earth; for thou shalt have an inheritance in all the nations. And again, I will arise, saith the Lord; I will put him in safety; I will wax bold through him. And, But thou, Lord, have mercy upon me, and raise me up again, and I shall requite them. For this reason do ye also, now the Lord is risen, offer your sacrifice, concerning which he made a constitution by us, saying, This do in remembrance of me; and thenceforward leave off your fasting, and rejoice, and keep a festival, because Jesus Christ, the pledge of our resurrection, is risen from the dead. And let this be an everlasting ordinance till the consummation of the world, until the Lord come. For to the Jews the Lord is still dead, but to Christians he is risen: to the former, by their unbelief; to the latter, by their full assurance of faith. For the hope in him is immortal and eternal life.
After eight days, let there be another feast observed with honor, the eighth day itself, on which he gave me, Thomas, who was hard of belief, full assurance, by showing me the print of the nails, and the wound made in his side by the spear.
And again, from the first Lord’s day count forty days, from the Lord’s day till the fifth day of the week; and celebrate the Feast of the Ascension of the Lord, in which he finished all his dispensation and constitution, and returned to the God and Father who had sent him; sitting down at the right hand of power, and remaining there until his enemies be put under his feet. He will also come at the end of the world, with power and great glory, to judge the living and the dead, and to recompense every one according to his works. And then shall they see the beloved Son of God, whom they pierced; and when they know him, they shall mourn for themselves, tribe by tribe, and their wives apart.
Chapter XX – A Prophetic Prediction concerning Christ Jesus
For even now, on the tenth day of the month September, when they assemble together, they read the Lamentations of Jeremiah, in which it is said, The spirit before our face, Christ the Lord was taken in their destructions; and Baruch, in whom it is written, This is our God; no other shall be esteemed with him. He found out every way of knowledge, and showed it to Jacob his son, and Israel his beloved. Afterwards he was seen upon earth, and conversed with men. And when they read them, they lament and bewail, as themselves suppose, that desolation which happened by Nebuchadnezzar; but, as the truth showeth, they unwillingly make a prelude to that lamentation which will overtake them.
But after ten days from the ascension, which, from the first Lord’s day, is the fiftieth day, let there be to you a great festival. For on that day, at the third hour, the Lord Jesus sent on us the gift of the Holy Ghost, and we were filled with his energy, and we spake with new tongues, as that Spirit suggested to us; and we preached both to Jews and Gentiles, that he is the Christ of God, who is determined by him to be the Judge of the living and the dead. To him did Moses bear witness, saying, The Lord received fire from the Lord, and rained it down. Him Jacob saw as a man, and said, I have seen God face to face, and my soul is preserved. Him Abraham entertained, and acknowledged to be the Judge and his own Lord. Him Moses saw in the bush. Concerning him he said in Deuteronomy, A Prophet will the Lord your God raise up unto you out of your brethren, like unto me. Him shall ye hear in all things, whatsoever he shall say unto you. And it shall be, that every soul that will not hear that Prophet shall be destroyed from among his people. Him did Joshua, the son of Nun, see, as the captain of the Lord’s host, in armor, for his assistance against Jericho; to whom he fell down and worshipped, as a servant doth to his master. Him Samuel knew, as the anointed of God, and thence named the priests and the kings the anointed. Him David knew, and sung a hymn concerning him, saying, A song concerning the Beloved; and, addressing it to his person, he said, Gird thy sword upon thy thigh, thou who art mighty, in thy beauty and renown. Go on and prosper, and reign, for the sake of truth, and meekness, and righteousness; and thy right hand shall guide thee after a wonderful manner. Thy darts are sharp, thou that art mighty, the people shall fall under thee, in the heart of the King’s enemies. Wherefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows. Concerning him spake Solomon, as in his person: The Lord created me the beginning of his ways, for his glorics. Before the world he founded me; in the beginning, before he made the earth, before the fountains of waters came, before the mountains were fastened, before all the hills, he begat me.
And again, Wisdom built herself a house. Concerning him also Isaiah said: A branch shall come out of the root of Jesse; and a flower shall spring out of his root. And there shall be a root of Jesse, and he that is to rise to reign over the Gentiles; in him shall the Gentiles trust. And Zechariah saith, Behold thy king cometh unto thee, just, and having salvation, meek, and riding upon an ass, even a colt, the foal of an ass. Him Daniel describeth as the Son of Man coming to the Father, and receiving all judgment and honor from him; and as the stone cut out of the mountain without hands, and becoming a great mountain, and filling the whole earth, dashing to pieces the many governments of the smaller countries, and the polytheism of the gods; but preaching the one God, and ordaining the monarchy of the Romans.
Concerning him also prophesieth Jeremiah, saying, The Spirit before his face, Christ the Lord, was taken in their snares, of whom we said, Under his shadow we shall live among the Gentiles. Ezekiel also, and the subsequent prophets, affirm everywhere that he is the Christ, the Lord, the King, the Judge, the Lawgiver, the Angel of the Father, the only-begotten God.
Him, therefore, do we also preach to you, and declare to be God the Word, who ministered to his God and Father for the creation of the universe. Believing in him, ye shall live; but not believing, ye shall be punished. For he that is disobedient to the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him.
Therefore, after ye have kept the festival of the Pentecost, keep festival one week more; and after that, fast one; for it is reasonable to rejoice for the gift of God, and to fast after that relaxation. For both Moses and Elias fasted forty days; and Daniel for three weeks of days did not eat desirable bread, and flesh and wine did not enter into his mouth; and blessed Hannah, when she asked for Samuel, said, I have not drunk wine, nor strong drink, and I pour out my soul before the Lord; and the Ninevites, when they fasted three days and three nights, escaped the execution of wrath. And Esther, and Mordecai, and Judith, by fasting escaped the insurrection of the ungodly Holofernes and Haman. And David saith, My knees are weak through fasting, and my flesh faileth for want of oil.
Do ye, therefore, fast, and ask your petitions of God. We enjoin you to fast every fourth day of the week, and every day of the Preparation; and what is saved by your fasting bestow upon the needy. Every Sabbath except one, and every Lord’s day, hold your religious assemblies, and rejoice; for he will be guilty of sin who fasteth on the Lord’s day, it being the day of the resurrection, or during the time of Pentecost, or, in general, who is sad on a festival day to the Lord; for then we ought to rejoice, and not to mourn.
END OF BOOK V
BOOK VI – CONCERNING SCHISMS.
Chapter I – Who they were that ventured to make Schisms, and did not escape punishment
ABOVE all things, Bishops, avoid the sad, and dangerous, and lawless heresies, eschewing them as fire that burneth those who come near it. Avoid also schisms; for it is neither lawful to turn one’s mind towards wicked heresies, nor, out of ambition, to separate from the men who agree with you in sentiment. For, in ancient times, certain persons who ventured to do thus, did not escape punishment. Dathan and Abiram, who set up in opposition to Moses, were swallowed down into the earth. And Corah, and those two hundred and fifty who with him raised a sedition against Aaron, were consumed by fire. Miriam also, who reproached Moses, was cast out of the camp for seven days; for she alleged that Moses had married an Ethiopian woman. Nay, there is the case of Azariah and Uzziah; the latter of whom was king of Judah, but, venturing to usurp the priesthood, and desiring to offer incense, which it was not lawful for him to do, was forbidden by Azariah, the high priest, and the fourscore priests; and when he would not obey, he perceived the leprosy to rise in his forehead; and he hastened to go out, because the Lord had reproved him.
Chapter II – That it is not lawful to rise up against either the kingly or the priestly office
Let us, therefore, beloved, consider what sort of glory that of the seditious is, and what their condemnation. For if he that riseth up against kings is worthy of punishment, even though he be a son or a friend; how much more he that riseth up against the priests!
For by how much the priesthood is more noble than the royal power, as having its concern about the soul, so much hath he a greater punishment who ventureth to oppose the priesthood, than he who ventureth to oppose the royal power, although neither of them goeth unpunished. For neither did Absalom and Abedadan escape without punishment; nor Corah and Dathan. The former two rose against David, and strove concerning the kingdom; the latter, against Moses, concerning preeminence. And they spake evil, Absalom of his father David, as of an unjust judge, saying to every one, Thy words are good; but there is no one that will hear thee, and do thee justice. Who will make me a ruler? and Abedadan said, I have no part in David, nor any inheritance in the son of Jesse. It is plain that he could not endure to be under David’s government, of whom God spake: I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after my heart, who will do all my commands. But Dathan and Abiram, and the followers of Corah, said to Moses, Is it a small thing that thou hast brought us out of the land of Egypt, out of a land flowing with milk and honey? And why hast thou put out our eyes? And wilt thou rule over us? And they gathered together against him a great congregation; and the followers of Corah said, Hath God spoken alone to Moses? Why is it that he hath given the high priesthood to Aaron alone? Is not all the congregation of the Lord holy? And why is Aaron alone possessed of the priesthood? And, before this, one said, Who made thee a ruler and a judge over us?
Chapter III – Concerning the virtue of Moses, and the incredulity of the Jewish nation, and what wonderful works God did among them
And they raised a sedition against Moses, the servant of God, the meekest of all men, and faithful, and affronted so great a man with the highest ingratitude; him who was their lawgiver, and guardian, and high priest, and king, the administrator of divine things; one that showed, as a creator, the mighty works of the Creator; the meekest man, freest from arrogance, and full of fortitude, and most benign in his temper; one who had delivered them from many dangers, and freed them from several deaths by his holiness; who had done so many signs and wonders from God before the people, and had performed glorious and wonderful works for their benefit; who had brought the ten plagues upon the Egyptians; who had divided the Red Sea, and had separated the waters as a wall on this side and on that side, and had led the people through them, as through a dry wilderness, and had drowned Pharaoh and the Egyptians, and all that were in company with them, and had made the fountain sweet for them with wood, and had brought water out of the abrupt rock for them when they were thirsty, and had given them manna out of heaven, and had distributed flesh to them out of the air, and had afforded them a pillar of fire in the night to enlighten and conduct them, and a pillar of a cloud to shadow them in the day, on account of the violent heat of the sun, and had exhibited to them the Law of God, engraven from the mouth, and hand, and writing of God, in tables of stone, the perfect number of ten commandments; to whom God spake face to face, as if a man spake to his friend; of whom he said, And there arose not a Prophet like unto Moses. Against him arose the followers of Corah, and the Reubenites, and threw stones at Moses, who prayed and said, Accept not thou their offering. And the glory of God appeared, and sent some down into the earth, and burnt up others with fire; and so as to those ringleaders of this schismatical error, who said, Let us make ourselves a leader, the earth opened its mouth, and swallowed them up, and their, tents, and what appertained to them; and they went down alive into hell. Moreover, he destroyed the followers of Corah with fire.
Chapter IV – That he maketh schism, not who separateth himself from the wicked, but who departeth from the godly
If, therefore, God inflicted punishment immediately on those that made a schism on account of their ambition, how much rather will he do it upon those who are the leaders of impious heresies! Will he not inflict severer punishment on those that blaspheme his providence or his creation? But do ye, brethren, who are instructed out of the Scripture, take care not to make divisions in opinion, nor divisions in your unity. For those who set up unlawful opinions are harbingers of perdition to the people. In like manner, ye of the laity, come not near such as advance doctrines contrary to the mind of God, nor be ye partakers of their impiety. For, saith God, Separate yourselves from the midst of these men., lest ye perish together with them. And again, Depart from the midst of them, and separate yourselves, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing, and I will receive you.
Chapter V – On what account Israel, falsely so named, is rejected, a demonstration from the prophetic predictions
For those most certainly are to be avoided who blaspheme God. The greatest part of the ungodly, indeed, are ignorant of God; but these men, as fighters against God, are possessed with a wilful, evil disposition, as with a disease. For from the wickedness of the heretics, Pollution is gone out upon all the land, as saith the prophet Jeremiah. Accordingly, the wicked synagogue is now cast off by the Lord God, and his house is rejected by him, as he somewhere saith, I have forsaken my house; I have left mine inheritance. And again, saith Isaiah, I will neglect my vineyard, and it shall not be pruned nor digged, and thorns shall spring up upon it, as upon a desert; and I will command the clouds to send no rain upon it. He hath therefore left his people, as a tent in a vineyard, and as a lodge in a garden of cucumbers, and as a besieged city. He hath taken away from them the Holy Spirit, and the prophetic rain, and hath replenished his church with spiritual grace, as the river of Egypt in the time of first-fruits; and hath exceedingly exalted it, as a house upon a hill, or as a high mountain; as a mountain swelling into eminences, and fertile; in which it hath pleased God to dwell; yea, the Lord will establish his habitation there forever. And he saith in Jeremiah, Our sanctuary is an exalted throne of glory; and he saith in Isaiah, And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the Lord shall be glorious; and the house of the Lord shall be upon the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills.
Since, therefore, he hath forsaken his people, he hath also left his temple desolate, and rent the veil of the temple, and took from them the Holy Spirit. For saith he, Behold, your house is left unto you desolate; and he hath bestowed upon you, the converted of the Gentiles, spiritual grace; as he saith by Joel, And it shall come to pass, after these things, saith Crod, that I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh; and your sons shall prophesy, and your daughters shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams. For God hath taken away all the power and efficacy of his word, and such like visitations, from that people, and hath transferred them to you, the converted of the Gentiles. On this account, the devil, being very angry at the holy church of God, hath betaken himself to you, and hath raised against you afflictions, persecutions, seditions, reproaches, schisms, heresies. For he had before subdued that people to himself, by their slaying of Christ. But you, who have left his vanities, he tempteth in different ways, as he did the blessed Job. And, indeed, he opposed that great high priest, Joshua, the son of Josedek; and he sometimes sought to sift us, that our faith might fail. But our Lord and Master, having brought him to trial, said to him, The Lord rebuke thee, Satan, even the Lord who hath chosen Jerusalem, rebuke thee. Is not this plucked out of the fire, as a brand? And he who then said to those that stood by the high priest, Take away his ragged garments from him, and added, Behold, I have taken thine iniquities away from thee, he will now say, as he formerly said of us, when we were assembled together, I have prayed that your faith may not fail.
Chapter VI – That even among the Jews there arose the doctrine of several heresies, hateful to God
Verily, even the Jewish nation had wicked heresies; for of them were the Sadducees, who do not confess the resurrection of the dead; and the Pharisees, who ascribe the practice of sinners to fortune and fate; and the Hasmotheans, who deny Providence, and say, that the world is made by spontaneous motion, and take away the immortality of the soul; and the Hemerobaptists, who, every day, unless they bathe, do not eat; nay, unless they cleanse their couches, and tables, or platters, and cups, and seats, do not make use of any of them; and those who have recently appeared in our time, the Ebionites, who will have the Son of God to be a mere man, begotten by human pleasure and the conjunction of Joseph and Mary. There are also the Essenes, who separate themselves from all these, and observe the laws of their fathers.
The sects, then, which have been mentioned, arose among the former people. And now, the evil one, who is wise to do mischief, and never knoweth to do any good whatever, hath overcome some from among us, and by them hath wrought heresies and schisms.
Chapter VII – Whence the heresies sprang, and who was the ringleader of their impiety
Now, the origin of the new heresies was thus: The devil entered into one Simon, of the village called Gitthae, a Samaritan, by profession a magician, and made him the minister of his wicked design. For when Philip, our fellow-apostle, by the gift of the Lord, and the energy of his Spirit, performed the miracles of healing in Samaria, so that the Samaritans were astonished, and embraced the faith of the God of the universe, and of the Lord Jesus, and were baptized into his name; and when already Simon, also himself, seeing the signs and wonders which were done without any magic ceremonies, fell into admiration, and believed, and was baptized, and continued in fasting and prayer, we heard of the grace of God, which was among the Samaritans, by Philip, and came down to them; and, enlarging much upon the word of doctrine, we laid our hands upon all that were baptized, and we conferred upon them the participation of the Spirit.
But when Simon saw that the Spirit was given to believers by the imposition of our hands, he took money, and offered it to us, saying, Give me also the power, that on whomsoever I also shall lay my hand, he may receive the Holy Ghost; being desirous that, as the devil deprived Adam, by the tasting of the tree, of that immortality which was promised, so also he might entice us by the receiving of money, and thereby cut us off from the gift of God, that so by exchange we might give away to him, for money, the inestimable gift of the Spirit. But, as we were all troubled at this offer, I, Peter, with a fixed attention on that malicious serpent which was in him, said to Simon, Let thy money go with thee to perdition, because than hast thought to purchase the gift of God with money. Thou hast no part in this matter, nor lot in this faith; for thy heart is not right in the sight of God. Repent, therefore, of this thy wickedness, and pray to the Lord, if perhaps the thought of thy heart may be forgiven thee. For I perceive that thou art in the gall of bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity. But then Simon was terrified, and said, I entreat you, pray ye to the Lord for me, that none of those things which ye have spoken come upon me.
Chapter VIII – Who were the successors of Simon’s impiety, and what heresies they set up
But when we went forth among the Gentiles, to preach the word of life, then the devil wrought in the people to send after us false apostles, to the corrupting of the word; and they sent forth one Cleobius, and joined him with Simon; and these became disciples to one Dositheus, whom they, having surpassed, thrust away from being the leader. Afterwards, also, others were the authors of absurd doctrines: Cerinthus, and Marcus, and Menander, and Basilides, and Saturnilus. Of these, some own the doctrine of many gods; some, only of three, but contrary to each other, without beginning, and ever with one another; and some, of gods infinite in number, and unknown. And some reject marriage, thinking that it is not the appointment of God; others abhor some kinds of food; and some are impudent in uncleanness, such as those who are falsely called Nicolaitans.
But Simon, indeed, meeting me, Peter, first at Caesarea of Strato (where the faithful Cornelius, a Gentile, believed on the Lord Jesus by me), endeavored to pervert the word of God; there being with me the holy children, Zaccheus, who was once a publican; and Barnabas, and Nicetas, and Aquila, who were brethren, and Clement, the Bishop and citizen of Rome, who was the disciple of Paul, our fellow-apostle and fellow-helper in the Gospel. I thrice discoursed before them, with him, concerning the true prophet, and concerning the monarchy of God; and when I had overcome him by the power of the Lord, and had put him to silence, I drove him away into Italy.
Chapter IX – How Simon, desiring to fly by some magical arts, fell down head long from on high, at the prayers of Peter, and broke his feet, and hands, and ankle-bones
Now, when he was in Rome, he mightily disturbed the church, and subverted many, and brought them over to himself, and astonished the Gentiles with his skill in magic; insomuch that once, in the middle of the day, he went into their theatre, and commanded the people that I also be brought into the theatre, and promised that he would fly in the air. And when all the people were insus pense at this, I prayed by myself. And indeed he was carried up into the air by demons, and flew on high in the air, saying that he was returning into heaven, and that he would supply them with good things from thence. And the people making acclamations to him, as to a god, I stretched out my hands to heaven, with my mind, and besought God, through the Lord Jesus, to throw down this pestilent fellow, and to destroy the power of those demons who made use of it for the seduction and perdition of men; to dash him against the ground, and bruise him, but not to kill him. And then, fixing my eyes on Simon, I said to him, If I be a man of God, and a real apostle of Jesus Christ, and a teacher of piety, and not of deceit, as thou art, Simon, I command those wicked powers of the apostate from piety, by which Simon the magician is carried, to let go their hold, that he may fall down headlong from his height, and be exposed to the laughter of those who have been seduced by him.
When I had said these words, Simon was deprived of his powers, and fell down headlong with a great noise, and was violently dashed against the ground, and had his hip and ankle-bones broken. And the people cried out, saying, There is one God only, whom Peter rightfully preacheth in truth. And many left him; but some, who were worthy of perdition, continued in his wicked doctrine. And thus this most atheistical heresy was fixed in Rome. The devil wrought also by the rest of the false apostles.
Chapter X – How the Heresies differ from each other, and from the truth
But all these had one and the same design of atheism, to blaspheme Almighty God, to spread their doctrine, that he is an unknown Being, and not the Father of Christ, nor the Creator of the world; but one who cannot be spoken of, ineffable, not to be named, and begotten by himself; that we are not to make use of the Law and the Prophets; that there is no Providence; that we are not to believe in a resurrection; that there is no judgment nor retribution; that the soul is not immortal; that we must indulge only our pleasures, and turn to any sort of worship without distinction. Some of them say that there are many gods; some, that there are three gods without beginning; some, that there are two unbegotten gods; some, that there are innumerable aeons. And some of them teach that men are not to marry, and must abstain from flesh and wine, affirming that marriage, and the begetting of children, and the eating of certain foods, are abominable; that so, as sober persons, they may make their wicked opinions to be received as worthy of belief. But some of them prohibit the eating of flesh, as being the flesh, not of irrational animals, but of creatures that have a rational soul, and as if those that ventured to slay them would be charged with the crime of murder. Others of them, however, affirm that we must abstain only from swine’s flesh, but may eat such kinds as are clean by the Law; and that we ought to be circumcised, according to the Law, and to believe in Jesus, as in a holy man and a prophet. But others teach men to be impudent in uncleanness, and to abuse the flesh, and to go through all unholy practices, as if this were the only way for the soul to avoid the rulers of this world. Now all these are the instruments of the devil, and the children of wrath.
Chapter XI – An exposition of Apostolic preaching
But we, who are the children of God and the sons of peace, preach the holy and right word of piety, and declare one God only, the Lord of the Law and of the Prophets, the Maker of the world, the Father of Christ; not a being that caused himself or begat himself, as they suppose, but eternal, and without origin, and dwelling in light inaccessible; not second, or third, or one of many, but the only one eternally; not unknown, or that must not be spoken of, but that was preached by the Law and the Prophets; the Almighty, the Supreme Governor of all things, having authority over all; the God and Father of the Only-begotten, and of the First-born of the whole creation; one God, the Father of one Son, not of many; the Source sending forth one Comforter by Christ; the Maker of the other orders, the one Creator of the several creatures by Christ, the same their preserver and legislator by him; the author of the resurrection and of the judgment, and of the retribution which shall be made by him; and that this Son himself was pleased to become man, and lived among men without sin, and suffered, and rose from the dead, and returned to Him that sent him.
We also say that every creature of God is good, and nothing abominable; that everything for the support of life, when partaken of righteously, is excellent. For, according to the Scripture, all things were very good. We believe that lawful marriage, and the begetting of children, is honorable and undefiled; for difference of sexes in Adam and Eve was formed for the increase of mankind. We abhor all unlawful mixtures, and that which is practised by some against nature, as wicked and impious.
We acknowledge a soul within us, incorporeal and immortal; not corruptible, as bodies are, but immortal, as being rational and free. We profess that there will be a resurrection, both of the just and of the unjust, and a retribution. We profess that Christ is not a mere man, but God the Word and man, the Mediator between God and man, the High Priest of the Father. Nor are we circumcised with the Jews; since we know that he is come to whom it was reserved, and on whose account the families were kept distinct, the expectation of the Gentiles, Jesus Christ, who sprang out of Judah, the Son from the Branch, the Flower from Jesse, whose government is upon his shoulder.
Chapter XII – To those that confess Christ, but are desirous to Judaize
But because this heresy seemed then to be the more powerful to seduce men, and the whole church was in danger, we, the Twelve, being assembled at Jerusalem (for Matthias was chosen to be an apostle, in the room of the betrayer, and took the lot of Judas, as it is said, His bishopric let another take), deliberated, together with James the Lord’s brother, what was to be done; and it seemed good to him, and to the elders, to speak to the people words of doctrine. For certain men went down from Judea to Antioch, and taught the brethren who were there, saying, Unless ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, and walk according to the other customs which he ordained, ye cannot be saved.
There having been, therefore, no small dissension and disputation, the brethren who were at Antioch, when they knew that we were all met together about this question, sent forth unto us men who were faithful and understanding in the Scriptures, to learn concerning this question. And these, when they were come to Jerusalem, declared to us what questions had arisen in the church of Antioch; namely, that some said, Men ought to be circumcised, and to observe the other purifications.
And when some said one thing, and some another, I, Peter, stood up, and said to them, Men and brethren, ye know how that from ancient days God made choice among you that the Gentiles should hear the Word of the Gospel by my mouth, and believe; and God, who knoweth the hearts, bare them witness. For an angel of the Lord appeared on a certain time to Cornelius, who was a centurion of the Roman government, and spake to him concerning me, that he should send for me, and hear the word of life from my mouth. He therefore sent for me from Joppa to Caesarea of Strato; and when I was ready to go to him, I would have eaten; and while they made ready, I was in the upper room praying, and I saw heaven opened, and a vessel, knit at the four corners like a splendid sheet, let down to the earth, wherein were all manner of four-footed beasts, and creeping things of the earth, and fowls of the heaven. And there came a voice out of heaven to me, saying, Arise, Peter, kill and eat. And I said, By no means, Lord; for I have never eaten anything common or unclean. And there came a voice a second time, saying, What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common. And this was done thrice; and the vessel was received up again into heaven. But as I doubted what this vision should mean, the spirit said to me, Behold, men seek thee. But rise up, and go with them, nothing doubting; for I have sent them.
These men were those who came from the centurion, and so by reasoning I understood the word of the Lord, which is written, Whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved. And again, All the ends of the earth shall remember, and turn unto the Lord, and all the families of the Heathen shall worship before him; for the kingdom is the Lord’s, and he is the Governor of the nations. And observing that there were expressions everywhere concerning the calling of the Gentiles, I rose up, and went with them, and entered into the man’s house. And while I was Preaching the word, the Holy Spirit fell on him, and on those that were with him, as it did on us at the beginning; and he put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith. And I perceived that God is no respecter of persons, but that in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, will be accepted with him. But even the believers, who were of the circumcision, were astonished at this. Now, therefore, why tempt ye God to lay a heavy yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither we nor our fathers were able to bear? But we believe that, through the grace of the Lord, we shall be saved even as they. For the Lord hath loosed us from our bonds, and hath made our burden light, and hath loosed the heavy yoke from us by his clemency.
While I spake these things, the whole multitude kept silence. But James, the Lord’s brother, answered and said, Men and brethren, hearken unto me. Simeon hath declared how God at first visited to take out a people from the Gentiles to his name. And to this agree the words of the prophets, as it is written, Afterwards I will return, and will raise again and rebuild the tabernacle of David, which is fallen down; and I will rebuild its ruins, and will again set it up, that the residue of men may seek after the Lord, and all the nations upon whom my name is called, saith the Lord, who doeth these things. Known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world. Wherefore my sentence is, that we do not trouble those who from among the Gentiles turn unto God; but that we write to them that they abstain from the pollutions of the Gentiles, and from what is sacrificed to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication. Which laws were given to the ancients, who lived before the Law, under the law of nature, Enos, Enoch, Noah, Melchisedek, Job, and if there be any other of the same sort.
Then it seemed good to us, the apostles, and to James the bishop, and to the elders, with the whole church, to send men chosen from among our own selves, with Barnabas and Paul of Tarsus, the apostle of the Gentiles, and Judas, who was called Barsabbas, and Silas, chief men among the brethren; and we wrote by their hand as followeth: The Apostles and Elders to the brethren who are of the Gentiles in Antioch, and Syria, and Cilicia, send greeting. Since we have heard that some from us have troubled you with words, subverting your souls, to whom we gave no such commandment, it hath seemed good to us, when we were met together with one accord, to send chosen men to you, with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, men who have hazarded their lives for our Lord Jesus Christ, and by whom ye sent unto us. We have sent also with them Judas and Silas, who shall themselves declare the same things by mouth. For it seemed good to the Holy Ghost and to us to lay no other burden upon you than these necessary things: that ye abstain from things offered to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication. From which things, if ye keep yourselves, ye shall do well. Fare ye well.
We accordingly sent this epistle; but we ourselves remained in Jerusalem many days, consulting together for the public benefit, for the well ordering of all things.
Chapter I – Who they were that ventured to make Schisms, and did not escape punishment
ABOVE all things, Bishops, avoid the sad, and dangerous, and lawless heresies, eschewing them as fire that burneth those who come near it. Avoid also schisms; for it is neither lawful to turn one’s mind towards wicked heresies, nor, out of ambition, to separate from the men who agree with you in sentiment. For, in ancient times, certain persons who ventured to do thus, did not escape punishment. Dathan and Abiram, who set up in opposition to Moses, were swallowed down into the earth. And Corah, and those two hundred and fifty who with him raised a sedition against Aaron, were consumed by fire. Miriam also, who reproached Moses, was cast out of the camp for seven days; for she alleged that Moses had married an Ethiopian woman. Nay, there is the case of Azariah and Uzziah; the latter of whom was king of Judah, but, venturing to usurp the priesthood, and desiring to offer incense, which it was not lawful for him to do, was forbidden by Azariah, the high priest, and the fourscore priests; and when he would not obey, he perceived the leprosy to rise in his forehead; and he hastened to go out, because the Lord had reproved him.
Chapter II – That it is not lawful to rise up against either the kingly or the priestly office
Let us, therefore, beloved, consider what sort of glory that of the seditious is, and what their condemnation. For if he that riseth up against kings is worthy of punishment, even though he be a son or a friend; how much more he that riseth up against the priests!
For by how much the priesthood is more noble than the royal power, as having its concern about the soul, so much hath he a greater punishment who ventureth to oppose the priesthood, than he who ventureth to oppose the royal power, although neither of them goeth unpunished. For neither did Absalom and Abedadan escape without punishment; nor Corah and Dathan. The former two rose against David, and strove concerning the kingdom; the latter, against Moses, concerning preeminence. And they spake evil, Absalom of his father David, as of an unjust judge, saying to every one, Thy words are good; but there is no one that will hear thee, and do thee justice. Who will make me a ruler? and Abedadan said, I have no part in David, nor any inheritance in the son of Jesse. It is plain that he could not endure to be under David’s government, of whom God spake: I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after my heart, who will do all my commands. But Dathan and Abiram, and the followers of Corah, said to Moses, Is it a small thing that thou hast brought us out of the land of Egypt, out of a land flowing with milk and honey? And why hast thou put out our eyes? And wilt thou rule over us? And they gathered together against him a great congregation; and the followers of Corah said, Hath God spoken alone to Moses? Why is it that he hath given the high priesthood to Aaron alone? Is not all the congregation of the Lord holy? And why is Aaron alone possessed of the priesthood? And, before this, one said, Who made thee a ruler and a judge over us?
Chapter III – Concerning the virtue of Moses, and the incredulity of the Jewish nation, and what wonderful works God did among them
And they raised a sedition against Moses, the servant of God, the meekest of all men, and faithful, and affronted so great a man with the highest ingratitude; him who was their lawgiver, and guardian, and high priest, and king, the administrator of divine things; one that showed, as a creator, the mighty works of the Creator; the meekest man, freest from arrogance, and full of fortitude, and most benign in his temper; one who had delivered them from many dangers, and freed them from several deaths by his holiness; who had done so many signs and wonders from God before the people, and had performed glorious and wonderful works for their benefit; who had brought the ten plagues upon the Egyptians; who had divided the Red Sea, and had separated the waters as a wall on this side and on that side, and had led the people through them, as through a dry wilderness, and had drowned Pharaoh and the Egyptians, and all that were in company with them, and had made the fountain sweet for them with wood, and had brought water out of the abrupt rock for them when they were thirsty, and had given them manna out of heaven, and had distributed flesh to them out of the air, and had afforded them a pillar of fire in the night to enlighten and conduct them, and a pillar of a cloud to shadow them in the day, on account of the violent heat of the sun, and had exhibited to them the Law of God, engraven from the mouth, and hand, and writing of God, in tables of stone, the perfect number of ten commandments; to whom God spake face to face, as if a man spake to his friend; of whom he said, And there arose not a Prophet like unto Moses. Against him arose the followers of Corah, and the Reubenites, and threw stones at Moses, who prayed and said, Accept not thou their offering. And the glory of God appeared, and sent some down into the earth, and burnt up others with fire; and so as to those ringleaders of this schismatical error, who said, Let us make ourselves a leader, the earth opened its mouth, and swallowed them up, and their, tents, and what appertained to them; and they went down alive into hell. Moreover, he destroyed the followers of Corah with fire.
Chapter IV – That he maketh schism, not who separateth himself from the wicked, but who departeth from the godly
If, therefore, God inflicted punishment immediately on those that made a schism on account of their ambition, how much rather will he do it upon those who are the leaders of impious heresies! Will he not inflict severer punishment on those that blaspheme his providence or his creation? But do ye, brethren, who are instructed out of the Scripture, take care not to make divisions in opinion, nor divisions in your unity. For those who set up unlawful opinions are harbingers of perdition to the people. In like manner, ye of the laity, come not near such as advance doctrines contrary to the mind of God, nor be ye partakers of their impiety. For, saith God, Separate yourselves from the midst of these men., lest ye perish together with them. And again, Depart from the midst of them, and separate yourselves, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing, and I will receive you.
Chapter V – On what account Israel, falsely so named, is rejected, a demonstration from the prophetic predictions
For those most certainly are to be avoided who blaspheme God. The greatest part of the ungodly, indeed, are ignorant of God; but these men, as fighters against God, are possessed with a wilful, evil disposition, as with a disease. For from the wickedness of the heretics, Pollution is gone out upon all the land, as saith the prophet Jeremiah. Accordingly, the wicked synagogue is now cast off by the Lord God, and his house is rejected by him, as he somewhere saith, I have forsaken my house; I have left mine inheritance. And again, saith Isaiah, I will neglect my vineyard, and it shall not be pruned nor digged, and thorns shall spring up upon it, as upon a desert; and I will command the clouds to send no rain upon it. He hath therefore left his people, as a tent in a vineyard, and as a lodge in a garden of cucumbers, and as a besieged city. He hath taken away from them the Holy Spirit, and the prophetic rain, and hath replenished his church with spiritual grace, as the river of Egypt in the time of first-fruits; and hath exceedingly exalted it, as a house upon a hill, or as a high mountain; as a mountain swelling into eminences, and fertile; in which it hath pleased God to dwell; yea, the Lord will establish his habitation there forever. And he saith in Jeremiah, Our sanctuary is an exalted throne of glory; and he saith in Isaiah, And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the Lord shall be glorious; and the house of the Lord shall be upon the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills.
Since, therefore, he hath forsaken his people, he hath also left his temple desolate, and rent the veil of the temple, and took from them the Holy Spirit. For saith he, Behold, your house is left unto you desolate; and he hath bestowed upon you, the converted of the Gentiles, spiritual grace; as he saith by Joel, And it shall come to pass, after these things, saith Crod, that I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh; and your sons shall prophesy, and your daughters shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams. For God hath taken away all the power and efficacy of his word, and such like visitations, from that people, and hath transferred them to you, the converted of the Gentiles. On this account, the devil, being very angry at the holy church of God, hath betaken himself to you, and hath raised against you afflictions, persecutions, seditions, reproaches, schisms, heresies. For he had before subdued that people to himself, by their slaying of Christ. But you, who have left his vanities, he tempteth in different ways, as he did the blessed Job. And, indeed, he opposed that great high priest, Joshua, the son of Josedek; and he sometimes sought to sift us, that our faith might fail. But our Lord and Master, having brought him to trial, said to him, The Lord rebuke thee, Satan, even the Lord who hath chosen Jerusalem, rebuke thee. Is not this plucked out of the fire, as a brand? And he who then said to those that stood by the high priest, Take away his ragged garments from him, and added, Behold, I have taken thine iniquities away from thee, he will now say, as he formerly said of us, when we were assembled together, I have prayed that your faith may not fail.
Chapter VI – That even among the Jews there arose the doctrine of several heresies, hateful to God
Verily, even the Jewish nation had wicked heresies; for of them were the Sadducees, who do not confess the resurrection of the dead; and the Pharisees, who ascribe the practice of sinners to fortune and fate; and the Hasmotheans, who deny Providence, and say, that the world is made by spontaneous motion, and take away the immortality of the soul; and the Hemerobaptists, who, every day, unless they bathe, do not eat; nay, unless they cleanse their couches, and tables, or platters, and cups, and seats, do not make use of any of them; and those who have recently appeared in our time, the Ebionites, who will have the Son of God to be a mere man, begotten by human pleasure and the conjunction of Joseph and Mary. There are also the Essenes, who separate themselves from all these, and observe the laws of their fathers.
The sects, then, which have been mentioned, arose among the former people. And now, the evil one, who is wise to do mischief, and never knoweth to do any good whatever, hath overcome some from among us, and by them hath wrought heresies and schisms.
Chapter VII – Whence the heresies sprang, and who was the ringleader of their impiety
Now, the origin of the new heresies was thus: The devil entered into one Simon, of the village called Gitthae, a Samaritan, by profession a magician, and made him the minister of his wicked design. For when Philip, our fellow-apostle, by the gift of the Lord, and the energy of his Spirit, performed the miracles of healing in Samaria, so that the Samaritans were astonished, and embraced the faith of the God of the universe, and of the Lord Jesus, and were baptized into his name; and when already Simon, also himself, seeing the signs and wonders which were done without any magic ceremonies, fell into admiration, and believed, and was baptized, and continued in fasting and prayer, we heard of the grace of God, which was among the Samaritans, by Philip, and came down to them; and, enlarging much upon the word of doctrine, we laid our hands upon all that were baptized, and we conferred upon them the participation of the Spirit.
But when Simon saw that the Spirit was given to believers by the imposition of our hands, he took money, and offered it to us, saying, Give me also the power, that on whomsoever I also shall lay my hand, he may receive the Holy Ghost; being desirous that, as the devil deprived Adam, by the tasting of the tree, of that immortality which was promised, so also he might entice us by the receiving of money, and thereby cut us off from the gift of God, that so by exchange we might give away to him, for money, the inestimable gift of the Spirit. But, as we were all troubled at this offer, I, Peter, with a fixed attention on that malicious serpent which was in him, said to Simon, Let thy money go with thee to perdition, because than hast thought to purchase the gift of God with money. Thou hast no part in this matter, nor lot in this faith; for thy heart is not right in the sight of God. Repent, therefore, of this thy wickedness, and pray to the Lord, if perhaps the thought of thy heart may be forgiven thee. For I perceive that thou art in the gall of bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity. But then Simon was terrified, and said, I entreat you, pray ye to the Lord for me, that none of those things which ye have spoken come upon me.
Chapter VIII – Who were the successors of Simon’s impiety, and what heresies they set up
But when we went forth among the Gentiles, to preach the word of life, then the devil wrought in the people to send after us false apostles, to the corrupting of the word; and they sent forth one Cleobius, and joined him with Simon; and these became disciples to one Dositheus, whom they, having surpassed, thrust away from being the leader. Afterwards, also, others were the authors of absurd doctrines: Cerinthus, and Marcus, and Menander, and Basilides, and Saturnilus. Of these, some own the doctrine of many gods; some, only of three, but contrary to each other, without beginning, and ever with one another; and some, of gods infinite in number, and unknown. And some reject marriage, thinking that it is not the appointment of God; others abhor some kinds of food; and some are impudent in uncleanness, such as those who are falsely called Nicolaitans.
But Simon, indeed, meeting me, Peter, first at Caesarea of Strato (where the faithful Cornelius, a Gentile, believed on the Lord Jesus by me), endeavored to pervert the word of God; there being with me the holy children, Zaccheus, who was once a publican; and Barnabas, and Nicetas, and Aquila, who were brethren, and Clement, the Bishop and citizen of Rome, who was the disciple of Paul, our fellow-apostle and fellow-helper in the Gospel. I thrice discoursed before them, with him, concerning the true prophet, and concerning the monarchy of God; and when I had overcome him by the power of the Lord, and had put him to silence, I drove him away into Italy.
Chapter IX – How Simon, desiring to fly by some magical arts, fell down head long from on high, at the prayers of Peter, and broke his feet, and hands, and ankle-bones
Now, when he was in Rome, he mightily disturbed the church, and subverted many, and brought them over to himself, and astonished the Gentiles with his skill in magic; insomuch that once, in the middle of the day, he went into their theatre, and commanded the people that I also be brought into the theatre, and promised that he would fly in the air. And when all the people were insus pense at this, I prayed by myself. And indeed he was carried up into the air by demons, and flew on high in the air, saying that he was returning into heaven, and that he would supply them with good things from thence. And the people making acclamations to him, as to a god, I stretched out my hands to heaven, with my mind, and besought God, through the Lord Jesus, to throw down this pestilent fellow, and to destroy the power of those demons who made use of it for the seduction and perdition of men; to dash him against the ground, and bruise him, but not to kill him. And then, fixing my eyes on Simon, I said to him, If I be a man of God, and a real apostle of Jesus Christ, and a teacher of piety, and not of deceit, as thou art, Simon, I command those wicked powers of the apostate from piety, by which Simon the magician is carried, to let go their hold, that he may fall down headlong from his height, and be exposed to the laughter of those who have been seduced by him.
When I had said these words, Simon was deprived of his powers, and fell down headlong with a great noise, and was violently dashed against the ground, and had his hip and ankle-bones broken. And the people cried out, saying, There is one God only, whom Peter rightfully preacheth in truth. And many left him; but some, who were worthy of perdition, continued in his wicked doctrine. And thus this most atheistical heresy was fixed in Rome. The devil wrought also by the rest of the false apostles.
Chapter X – How the Heresies differ from each other, and from the truth
But all these had one and the same design of atheism, to blaspheme Almighty God, to spread their doctrine, that he is an unknown Being, and not the Father of Christ, nor the Creator of the world; but one who cannot be spoken of, ineffable, not to be named, and begotten by himself; that we are not to make use of the Law and the Prophets; that there is no Providence; that we are not to believe in a resurrection; that there is no judgment nor retribution; that the soul is not immortal; that we must indulge only our pleasures, and turn to any sort of worship without distinction. Some of them say that there are many gods; some, that there are three gods without beginning; some, that there are two unbegotten gods; some, that there are innumerable aeons. And some of them teach that men are not to marry, and must abstain from flesh and wine, affirming that marriage, and the begetting of children, and the eating of certain foods, are abominable; that so, as sober persons, they may make their wicked opinions to be received as worthy of belief. But some of them prohibit the eating of flesh, as being the flesh, not of irrational animals, but of creatures that have a rational soul, and as if those that ventured to slay them would be charged with the crime of murder. Others of them, however, affirm that we must abstain only from swine’s flesh, but may eat such kinds as are clean by the Law; and that we ought to be circumcised, according to the Law, and to believe in Jesus, as in a holy man and a prophet. But others teach men to be impudent in uncleanness, and to abuse the flesh, and to go through all unholy practices, as if this were the only way for the soul to avoid the rulers of this world. Now all these are the instruments of the devil, and the children of wrath.
Chapter XI – An exposition of Apostolic preaching
But we, who are the children of God and the sons of peace, preach the holy and right word of piety, and declare one God only, the Lord of the Law and of the Prophets, the Maker of the world, the Father of Christ; not a being that caused himself or begat himself, as they suppose, but eternal, and without origin, and dwelling in light inaccessible; not second, or third, or one of many, but the only one eternally; not unknown, or that must not be spoken of, but that was preached by the Law and the Prophets; the Almighty, the Supreme Governor of all things, having authority over all; the God and Father of the Only-begotten, and of the First-born of the whole creation; one God, the Father of one Son, not of many; the Source sending forth one Comforter by Christ; the Maker of the other orders, the one Creator of the several creatures by Christ, the same their preserver and legislator by him; the author of the resurrection and of the judgment, and of the retribution which shall be made by him; and that this Son himself was pleased to become man, and lived among men without sin, and suffered, and rose from the dead, and returned to Him that sent him.
We also say that every creature of God is good, and nothing abominable; that everything for the support of life, when partaken of righteously, is excellent. For, according to the Scripture, all things were very good. We believe that lawful marriage, and the begetting of children, is honorable and undefiled; for difference of sexes in Adam and Eve was formed for the increase of mankind. We abhor all unlawful mixtures, and that which is practised by some against nature, as wicked and impious.
We acknowledge a soul within us, incorporeal and immortal; not corruptible, as bodies are, but immortal, as being rational and free. We profess that there will be a resurrection, both of the just and of the unjust, and a retribution. We profess that Christ is not a mere man, but God the Word and man, the Mediator between God and man, the High Priest of the Father. Nor are we circumcised with the Jews; since we know that he is come to whom it was reserved, and on whose account the families were kept distinct, the expectation of the Gentiles, Jesus Christ, who sprang out of Judah, the Son from the Branch, the Flower from Jesse, whose government is upon his shoulder.
Chapter XII – To those that confess Christ, but are desirous to Judaize
But because this heresy seemed then to be the more powerful to seduce men, and the whole church was in danger, we, the Twelve, being assembled at Jerusalem (for Matthias was chosen to be an apostle, in the room of the betrayer, and took the lot of Judas, as it is said, His bishopric let another take), deliberated, together with James the Lord’s brother, what was to be done; and it seemed good to him, and to the elders, to speak to the people words of doctrine. For certain men went down from Judea to Antioch, and taught the brethren who were there, saying, Unless ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, and walk according to the other customs which he ordained, ye cannot be saved.
There having been, therefore, no small dissension and disputation, the brethren who were at Antioch, when they knew that we were all met together about this question, sent forth unto us men who were faithful and understanding in the Scriptures, to learn concerning this question. And these, when they were come to Jerusalem, declared to us what questions had arisen in the church of Antioch; namely, that some said, Men ought to be circumcised, and to observe the other purifications.
And when some said one thing, and some another, I, Peter, stood up, and said to them, Men and brethren, ye know how that from ancient days God made choice among you that the Gentiles should hear the Word of the Gospel by my mouth, and believe; and God, who knoweth the hearts, bare them witness. For an angel of the Lord appeared on a certain time to Cornelius, who was a centurion of the Roman government, and spake to him concerning me, that he should send for me, and hear the word of life from my mouth. He therefore sent for me from Joppa to Caesarea of Strato; and when I was ready to go to him, I would have eaten; and while they made ready, I was in the upper room praying, and I saw heaven opened, and a vessel, knit at the four corners like a splendid sheet, let down to the earth, wherein were all manner of four-footed beasts, and creeping things of the earth, and fowls of the heaven. And there came a voice out of heaven to me, saying, Arise, Peter, kill and eat. And I said, By no means, Lord; for I have never eaten anything common or unclean. And there came a voice a second time, saying, What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common. And this was done thrice; and the vessel was received up again into heaven. But as I doubted what this vision should mean, the spirit said to me, Behold, men seek thee. But rise up, and go with them, nothing doubting; for I have sent them.
These men were those who came from the centurion, and so by reasoning I understood the word of the Lord, which is written, Whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved. And again, All the ends of the earth shall remember, and turn unto the Lord, and all the families of the Heathen shall worship before him; for the kingdom is the Lord’s, and he is the Governor of the nations. And observing that there were expressions everywhere concerning the calling of the Gentiles, I rose up, and went with them, and entered into the man’s house. And while I was Preaching the word, the Holy Spirit fell on him, and on those that were with him, as it did on us at the beginning; and he put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith. And I perceived that God is no respecter of persons, but that in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, will be accepted with him. But even the believers, who were of the circumcision, were astonished at this. Now, therefore, why tempt ye God to lay a heavy yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither we nor our fathers were able to bear? But we believe that, through the grace of the Lord, we shall be saved even as they. For the Lord hath loosed us from our bonds, and hath made our burden light, and hath loosed the heavy yoke from us by his clemency.
While I spake these things, the whole multitude kept silence. But James, the Lord’s brother, answered and said, Men and brethren, hearken unto me. Simeon hath declared how God at first visited to take out a people from the Gentiles to his name. And to this agree the words of the prophets, as it is written, Afterwards I will return, and will raise again and rebuild the tabernacle of David, which is fallen down; and I will rebuild its ruins, and will again set it up, that the residue of men may seek after the Lord, and all the nations upon whom my name is called, saith the Lord, who doeth these things. Known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world. Wherefore my sentence is, that we do not trouble those who from among the Gentiles turn unto God; but that we write to them that they abstain from the pollutions of the Gentiles, and from what is sacrificed to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication. Which laws were given to the ancients, who lived before the Law, under the law of nature, Enos, Enoch, Noah, Melchisedek, Job, and if there be any other of the same sort.
Then it seemed good to us, the apostles, and to James the bishop, and to the elders, with the whole church, to send men chosen from among our own selves, with Barnabas and Paul of Tarsus, the apostle of the Gentiles, and Judas, who was called Barsabbas, and Silas, chief men among the brethren; and we wrote by their hand as followeth: The Apostles and Elders to the brethren who are of the Gentiles in Antioch, and Syria, and Cilicia, send greeting. Since we have heard that some from us have troubled you with words, subverting your souls, to whom we gave no such commandment, it hath seemed good to us, when we were met together with one accord, to send chosen men to you, with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, men who have hazarded their lives for our Lord Jesus Christ, and by whom ye sent unto us. We have sent also with them Judas and Silas, who shall themselves declare the same things by mouth. For it seemed good to the Holy Ghost and to us to lay no other burden upon you than these necessary things: that ye abstain from things offered to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication. From which things, if ye keep yourselves, ye shall do well. Fare ye well.
We accordingly sent this epistle; but we ourselves remained in Jerusalem many days, consulting together for the public benefit, for the well ordering of all things.
Chapter XIII – That we must separate from Heretics
But after a long time we visited the brethren, and confirmed them with the word of piety, and charged them to avoid those who, under the name of Christ and Moses, war against Christ and Moses, and in the clothing of sheep hide the wolf. For these are false Christs, and false prophets, and false apostles; deceivers and corrupters, portions of foxes, the destroyers of the herbs of the vineyards; for whose sake the love of many will wax cold. But he that endureth steadfast to the end, the same shall be saved. Concerning whom, that he might secure us, the Lord declared, saying, There will come to you men in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits. Beware of them. For false Christs and false prophets shall arise, and shall deceive many.
Chapter XIV – Who were the preachers of the Catholic Doctrine, and which are the commandments given by them
On whose account, also, we who are now assembled in one place, Peter and Andrew, James and John, sons of Zebedee, Philip and Bartholomew, Thomas and Matthew, James the son of Alpheus, and Lebbeus who was surnamed Thaddeus, and Simon the Cananite, and Matthias, who, instead of Judas, was numbered with us; James the brother of the Lord, and Bishop of Jerusalem, and Paul the teacher of the Gentiles, the chosen vessel, all being present, have written to you this Catholic Doctrine, for the confirmation of you to whom the oversight of the church universal is committed; wherein we declare to you that there is only one God Almighty, besides whom there is no other; and that ye must worship and adore him only, through Jesus Christ our Lord, in the most Holy Spirit; that ye are to make use of the Sacred Scriptures, the Law and the Prophets; to honor your parents; to avoid all unlawful actions; to believe in the resurrection and the judgment, and to expect the retribution; and to use all his creatures with thankfulness, as the works of God, and having no evil in them; and to marry after a lawful manner, for such marriage is unblamable. For the woman is suited to the man by the Lord. And the Lord saith, He that made them from the beginning made them male and female, and said, For this cause shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave to his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. Nor let it be esteemed lawful after marriage to put her away who is without blame. For, saith he, Thou shalt take heed to thy spirit, and shalt not forsake the wife of thy youth; for she is the partner of thy life, and the remains of thy spirit. I, and no other, have made her. For the Lord saith, What God hath joined together let not man put asunder.
For the wife is the partner of life, united by God into one body from two. But he that divideth that again into two, which is become one, is the enemy of the creation of God, and the adversary of his providence. In like manner, he that retaineth her that is corrupted, is a transgressor of the law of nature; since he that retaineth an adulteress is foolish and wicked. For the Scripture saith, Cut her off from thy flesh; for she is not a help, but a snare, bending her mind from thee to another.
Nor be ye circumcised in your flesh; but let the circumcision which is of the heart by the spirit suffice for the faithful. For the Scripture saith, Be ye circumcised to your God; and circumcise the foreskin of your hearts.
XV – That we ought neither to rebaptize, nor to receive that baptism which is given by the wicked; which is not baptism, but pollution
Be ye likewise contented with one baptism alone, that which is into the death of the Lord; not that which is conferred by wicked heretics, but that which is conferred by unblamable priests in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost; and let not that which cometh from the ungodly be received by you, nor let that which is done by the godly be annulled by a second. For as there is one God, one Christ, and one Comforter, and one death of the Lord in the body, so let the baptism which is given into that death be one. But those that receive polluted baptism from the ungodly, will become partners in their opinions. For they are not priests; for God saith to them, Because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee from the office of a priest to me. Nor indeed are those that are baptized by them initiated, but polluted; not receiving the remission of sins, but the bond of impiety. And besides, they that attempt to rebaptize those who are already initiated, crucify the Lord afresh; slay him a second time; laugh at divine and ridicule holy things; affront the Spirit; dishonor the sacred blood of Christ, as common blood; are impious against Him that sent, Him that suffered, and Him that witnessed.
But also he that, out of contempt, will not be baptized, shall be condemned as an unbeliever, and shall be reproached as ungrateful and foolish. For the Lord saith, Except a man be baptized of water and of the Spirit, he shall by no means enter into the kingdom of heaven. And again, He that believeth, and is baptized, shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.: But he that saith, When I am dying, I will be baptized, lest I should sin, and defile my baptism, is ignorant of God, and forgetful of his own nature. For, Delay not to turn unto the Lord; for thou knowest not what the next day will bring forth.
Moreover, baptize your children, and bring them up in the nurture and admonition of God. For the Saviour saith, Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not.
Chapter XVI – Concerning books with false inscriptions
We have written all these things to you, that ye may know our decree, what it is; and that ye may not receive those books which have been fabricated in our name by the ungodly. For ye are not to attend to the names of the apostles, but to the nature of the things, and the correct decision. For we know that Simon and Cleobius, and their followers, have compiled poisonous books under the name of Christ and of his disciples, and carry them about in order to deceive you who love Christ and us his servants. And among the ancients, also, some have written apocryphal books of Moses, and Enoch, and Adam, and Isaiah, and David, and Elias, and of the three patriarchs; pernicious, and repugnant to the truth. And such things now have the wicked heretics done; reproaching the creation, marriage, providence, the begetting of children, the law, and the prophets; inscribing certain barbarous names, and, as they think, of angels, but, to speak the truth, of demons, who suggest things to them: whose doctrine eschew, that ye may not be partakers of the punishment due to those who write such things for the seduction and perdition of the faithful and unblamable disciples of the Lord Jesus.
Chapter XVII – Matrimonial precepts concerning Clergymen
We have said that a Bishop, and a Presbyter, and a Deacon, when they are constituted, must be but once married. whether their wives be alive, or whether they be dead; and that it is not lawful for them, if they be unmarried when they are ordained, to be married afterwards; or if they be then already married, to be married a second time; but that they should be content with the wife whom they had when they came to ordination.
We also command that the Attendants, and the Singers, and the Readers, and the Porters, be only once married. But if they entered into the clergy before they were married, we permit them to marry, if they have an inclination thereto, lest they sin, and incur punishment.
But we do not permit anyone of the clergy to marry a prostitute, or a slave, or a widow, or one that is divorced; as also saith the Law.
Let the Deaconess be a pure virgin, or, at the least, a widow who hath been but once married, faithful, and well-esteemed.
Chapter XVIII – An exhortation commanding to avoid the communion of the impious Heretics
Receive ye the penitent; for this is the will of God in Christ. Instruct the catechumens in the elements of religion, and then baptize them. Eschew the atheistical Heretics, who are past repentance, and separate them from the faithful, and excommunicate them from the church of God; and charge the faithful to abstain entirely from them, and not to partake with them either in sermons or in prayers. For these men are enemies to the church, and lay snares for it; men who corrupt the flock, and defile the heritage of Christ; pretenders only to wisdom, and wholly depraved: concerning whom Solomon the Wise said, The wicked doers pretend to act piously. For, saith he, There is a way which seemeth right to some, but the ends thereof look to the bottom of hell. These are they concerning whom the Lord declared his mind with bitterness and severity, saying that they are false Christs and false prophets, who have blasphemed the Spirit of grace, and done despite to the gift from him, after the grace [of baptism]; to whom forgiveness shall not be granted, neither in this world, nor in that which is to come; who are both more wicked than the Jews, and more atheistical than the Gentiles; who blaspheme the God over all, and tread under foot his Son, and do despite to the doctrine of the Spirit; who deny the words of God, or pretend hypocritically to receive them, to the affronting of God, and the deceiving of those that come among them; who abuse the Holy Scriptures, and, as for righteousness, know not what it is; who spoil the church of God, as the little foxes do the vineyards; whom we exhort you to avoid, lest ye lay traps for your own souls.
Indeed, He that walketh with wise men shall be wise; but he that walketh with the foolish shall be known. For we ought neither to run along with a thief, nor put in our lot with an adulterer; since holy David saith, Lord, I have hated them that hate thee; and I am withered away on account of thine enemies. I hated them with a perfect hatred: they were to me as enemies. And God reproacheth Jehosaphat with his friendship towards Ahab, and his league with him, and with Ahaziah, by the prophet Jehu, the son of Hanani, saying, Art thou in friendship with a sinner? or dost thou aid him that is hated by the Lord? For this cause the wrath of the Lord would be upon thee suddenly, but that thy heart is found perfect with the Lord. For this cause the Lord hath spared thee. Yet are thy works shattered, and thy ships broken to pieces.
Eschew, therefore, their fellowship, and be estranged from peace with them. For concerning them the prophet declared, saying, it is not lawful to rejoice with the ungodly, saith the Lord. For these are hidden wolves, dumb dogs that cannot bark; who at present are but few, but in process of time, when the end of the world draweth nigh, they will be more in number and more troublesome; concerning whom the Lord said, Will the Son of man, when he comeih, find faith on the earth? And, Because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. And, There shall come false Christs and false prophets, and shall show signs in heaven, so as, if it were possible, to deceive even the elect; but from their deceit God, through Jesus Christ, who is our hope, will deliver us.
And indeed, as we passed through the nations and confirmed the churches, curing some with much exhortation and with healing discourse, we brought them back when they were in the certain way to death. But those that were incurable we cast out from the flock, that they might not infect with their scabby disease the lambs which were sound; but that these might continue before the Lord God pure and undefiled, sound and unspotted. And this we did in every city, everywhere through the whole world, and have left to you the Bishops, and to the rest of the Priests, this catholic doctrine worthily and righteously, as a memorial of confirmation to those who have believed in God; and we have sent it by our fellow-minister Clement, our most faithful and like-minded son in the Lord, together with Barnabas, and Timothy our most dearly beloved son, and the genuine Mark. Together with whom we recommend to you also Titus, and Luke, and Jason, and Lucius, and Sosipater; by whom also we exhort you in the Lord to abstain from your old manner of life, vain bonds, separations, observances, distinction of meats, and daily washings. For old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
Chapter XIX – To those who speak evil of the Law
For since ye have known God, through Jesus Christ, and all his dispensation, as it hath been from the beginning; that he gave a plain Law to assist the law of nature, such a one as is pure, salutary, and holy, in which he inscribed his own name; perfect, unfailing, complete in ten commands, unspotted, converting souls; which when the Hebrews forgot, he put them in mind of it by the prophet Malachi, saying, Remember ye the Law of Moses, the man of God, who gave you in charge commandments and ordinances. Which Law is so very holy and righteous, that even our Saviour, when on a certain time he healed one leper, and afterwards nine, said to the first, Go, show thyself to the high priest, and offer the gift which Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them; and afterwards to the nine, Go, show yourselves to the priests.
For nowhere hath he abrogated the Law, as Simon pretendeth, but he hath fulfilled it; for he saith, One jot or one tittle shall not pass from the law, until all be fulfilled. For, saith he, I came not to destroy the law, but to fulfil it. And indeed Moses himself, who was at once the lawgiver and the high priest, and the prophet and the king, and Elias, the zealous follower of the prophets, were present at our Lord’s transfiguration on the mountain, and witnesses of his incarnation and of his sufferings, as the friends and familiars of Christ, but not as enemies and strangers. Whence it is manifest that the Law is good and holy, as also the prophets.
Chapter XX – Which is the Law of Nature, and which is that afterwards introduced; and why it was introduced
Now the Law is the Decalogue, which the Lord promulgated to them with an audible voice, before the people made that calf which represented the Egyptian Apis. And the Law is righteous, and therefore is called the Law because its judgments are rightly made, according to nature; but the followers of Simon despise it, supposing that they shall not be judged thereby, and so shall escape punishment. This Law is good, holy, not forced; for it saith, If If thou wilt, make me an altar, thou shalt make it of earth. It doth not say, Make one; but, If thou wilt make. It doth not impose a necessity, but gave leave to their power as being free. For God needeth not sacrifices, since he is by nature above all want. But knowing that, as of old, Abel, beloved of God, and Noah, and Abraham, and those that succeeded, without being required, but only moved of themselves by the law of nature, offered sacrifice to God, out of a grateful mind; so he now permitted the Hebrews, not commanding, but if they chose, permitting them; and, if they offered from a right intention, showing himself pleased with their sacrifices. Therefore he saith, If thou desirest to offer, do not offer to me as to one that needeth, for I stand in need of nothing; for the world is mine, and the fulness thereof.
But after a long time we visited the brethren, and confirmed them with the word of piety, and charged them to avoid those who, under the name of Christ and Moses, war against Christ and Moses, and in the clothing of sheep hide the wolf. For these are false Christs, and false prophets, and false apostles; deceivers and corrupters, portions of foxes, the destroyers of the herbs of the vineyards; for whose sake the love of many will wax cold. But he that endureth steadfast to the end, the same shall be saved. Concerning whom, that he might secure us, the Lord declared, saying, There will come to you men in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits. Beware of them. For false Christs and false prophets shall arise, and shall deceive many.
Chapter XIV – Who were the preachers of the Catholic Doctrine, and which are the commandments given by them
On whose account, also, we who are now assembled in one place, Peter and Andrew, James and John, sons of Zebedee, Philip and Bartholomew, Thomas and Matthew, James the son of Alpheus, and Lebbeus who was surnamed Thaddeus, and Simon the Cananite, and Matthias, who, instead of Judas, was numbered with us; James the brother of the Lord, and Bishop of Jerusalem, and Paul the teacher of the Gentiles, the chosen vessel, all being present, have written to you this Catholic Doctrine, for the confirmation of you to whom the oversight of the church universal is committed; wherein we declare to you that there is only one God Almighty, besides whom there is no other; and that ye must worship and adore him only, through Jesus Christ our Lord, in the most Holy Spirit; that ye are to make use of the Sacred Scriptures, the Law and the Prophets; to honor your parents; to avoid all unlawful actions; to believe in the resurrection and the judgment, and to expect the retribution; and to use all his creatures with thankfulness, as the works of God, and having no evil in them; and to marry after a lawful manner, for such marriage is unblamable. For the woman is suited to the man by the Lord. And the Lord saith, He that made them from the beginning made them male and female, and said, For this cause shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave to his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. Nor let it be esteemed lawful after marriage to put her away who is without blame. For, saith he, Thou shalt take heed to thy spirit, and shalt not forsake the wife of thy youth; for she is the partner of thy life, and the remains of thy spirit. I, and no other, have made her. For the Lord saith, What God hath joined together let not man put asunder.
For the wife is the partner of life, united by God into one body from two. But he that divideth that again into two, which is become one, is the enemy of the creation of God, and the adversary of his providence. In like manner, he that retaineth her that is corrupted, is a transgressor of the law of nature; since he that retaineth an adulteress is foolish and wicked. For the Scripture saith, Cut her off from thy flesh; for she is not a help, but a snare, bending her mind from thee to another.
Nor be ye circumcised in your flesh; but let the circumcision which is of the heart by the spirit suffice for the faithful. For the Scripture saith, Be ye circumcised to your God; and circumcise the foreskin of your hearts.
XV – That we ought neither to rebaptize, nor to receive that baptism which is given by the wicked; which is not baptism, but pollution
Be ye likewise contented with one baptism alone, that which is into the death of the Lord; not that which is conferred by wicked heretics, but that which is conferred by unblamable priests in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost; and let not that which cometh from the ungodly be received by you, nor let that which is done by the godly be annulled by a second. For as there is one God, one Christ, and one Comforter, and one death of the Lord in the body, so let the baptism which is given into that death be one. But those that receive polluted baptism from the ungodly, will become partners in their opinions. For they are not priests; for God saith to them, Because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee from the office of a priest to me. Nor indeed are those that are baptized by them initiated, but polluted; not receiving the remission of sins, but the bond of impiety. And besides, they that attempt to rebaptize those who are already initiated, crucify the Lord afresh; slay him a second time; laugh at divine and ridicule holy things; affront the Spirit; dishonor the sacred blood of Christ, as common blood; are impious against Him that sent, Him that suffered, and Him that witnessed.
But also he that, out of contempt, will not be baptized, shall be condemned as an unbeliever, and shall be reproached as ungrateful and foolish. For the Lord saith, Except a man be baptized of water and of the Spirit, he shall by no means enter into the kingdom of heaven. And again, He that believeth, and is baptized, shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.: But he that saith, When I am dying, I will be baptized, lest I should sin, and defile my baptism, is ignorant of God, and forgetful of his own nature. For, Delay not to turn unto the Lord; for thou knowest not what the next day will bring forth.
Moreover, baptize your children, and bring them up in the nurture and admonition of God. For the Saviour saith, Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not.
Chapter XVI – Concerning books with false inscriptions
We have written all these things to you, that ye may know our decree, what it is; and that ye may not receive those books which have been fabricated in our name by the ungodly. For ye are not to attend to the names of the apostles, but to the nature of the things, and the correct decision. For we know that Simon and Cleobius, and their followers, have compiled poisonous books under the name of Christ and of his disciples, and carry them about in order to deceive you who love Christ and us his servants. And among the ancients, also, some have written apocryphal books of Moses, and Enoch, and Adam, and Isaiah, and David, and Elias, and of the three patriarchs; pernicious, and repugnant to the truth. And such things now have the wicked heretics done; reproaching the creation, marriage, providence, the begetting of children, the law, and the prophets; inscribing certain barbarous names, and, as they think, of angels, but, to speak the truth, of demons, who suggest things to them: whose doctrine eschew, that ye may not be partakers of the punishment due to those who write such things for the seduction and perdition of the faithful and unblamable disciples of the Lord Jesus.
Chapter XVII – Matrimonial precepts concerning Clergymen
We have said that a Bishop, and a Presbyter, and a Deacon, when they are constituted, must be but once married. whether their wives be alive, or whether they be dead; and that it is not lawful for them, if they be unmarried when they are ordained, to be married afterwards; or if they be then already married, to be married a second time; but that they should be content with the wife whom they had when they came to ordination.
We also command that the Attendants, and the Singers, and the Readers, and the Porters, be only once married. But if they entered into the clergy before they were married, we permit them to marry, if they have an inclination thereto, lest they sin, and incur punishment.
But we do not permit anyone of the clergy to marry a prostitute, or a slave, or a widow, or one that is divorced; as also saith the Law.
Let the Deaconess be a pure virgin, or, at the least, a widow who hath been but once married, faithful, and well-esteemed.
Chapter XVIII – An exhortation commanding to avoid the communion of the impious Heretics
Receive ye the penitent; for this is the will of God in Christ. Instruct the catechumens in the elements of religion, and then baptize them. Eschew the atheistical Heretics, who are past repentance, and separate them from the faithful, and excommunicate them from the church of God; and charge the faithful to abstain entirely from them, and not to partake with them either in sermons or in prayers. For these men are enemies to the church, and lay snares for it; men who corrupt the flock, and defile the heritage of Christ; pretenders only to wisdom, and wholly depraved: concerning whom Solomon the Wise said, The wicked doers pretend to act piously. For, saith he, There is a way which seemeth right to some, but the ends thereof look to the bottom of hell. These are they concerning whom the Lord declared his mind with bitterness and severity, saying that they are false Christs and false prophets, who have blasphemed the Spirit of grace, and done despite to the gift from him, after the grace [of baptism]; to whom forgiveness shall not be granted, neither in this world, nor in that which is to come; who are both more wicked than the Jews, and more atheistical than the Gentiles; who blaspheme the God over all, and tread under foot his Son, and do despite to the doctrine of the Spirit; who deny the words of God, or pretend hypocritically to receive them, to the affronting of God, and the deceiving of those that come among them; who abuse the Holy Scriptures, and, as for righteousness, know not what it is; who spoil the church of God, as the little foxes do the vineyards; whom we exhort you to avoid, lest ye lay traps for your own souls.
Indeed, He that walketh with wise men shall be wise; but he that walketh with the foolish shall be known. For we ought neither to run along with a thief, nor put in our lot with an adulterer; since holy David saith, Lord, I have hated them that hate thee; and I am withered away on account of thine enemies. I hated them with a perfect hatred: they were to me as enemies. And God reproacheth Jehosaphat with his friendship towards Ahab, and his league with him, and with Ahaziah, by the prophet Jehu, the son of Hanani, saying, Art thou in friendship with a sinner? or dost thou aid him that is hated by the Lord? For this cause the wrath of the Lord would be upon thee suddenly, but that thy heart is found perfect with the Lord. For this cause the Lord hath spared thee. Yet are thy works shattered, and thy ships broken to pieces.
Eschew, therefore, their fellowship, and be estranged from peace with them. For concerning them the prophet declared, saying, it is not lawful to rejoice with the ungodly, saith the Lord. For these are hidden wolves, dumb dogs that cannot bark; who at present are but few, but in process of time, when the end of the world draweth nigh, they will be more in number and more troublesome; concerning whom the Lord said, Will the Son of man, when he comeih, find faith on the earth? And, Because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. And, There shall come false Christs and false prophets, and shall show signs in heaven, so as, if it were possible, to deceive even the elect; but from their deceit God, through Jesus Christ, who is our hope, will deliver us.
And indeed, as we passed through the nations and confirmed the churches, curing some with much exhortation and with healing discourse, we brought them back when they were in the certain way to death. But those that were incurable we cast out from the flock, that they might not infect with their scabby disease the lambs which were sound; but that these might continue before the Lord God pure and undefiled, sound and unspotted. And this we did in every city, everywhere through the whole world, and have left to you the Bishops, and to the rest of the Priests, this catholic doctrine worthily and righteously, as a memorial of confirmation to those who have believed in God; and we have sent it by our fellow-minister Clement, our most faithful and like-minded son in the Lord, together with Barnabas, and Timothy our most dearly beloved son, and the genuine Mark. Together with whom we recommend to you also Titus, and Luke, and Jason, and Lucius, and Sosipater; by whom also we exhort you in the Lord to abstain from your old manner of life, vain bonds, separations, observances, distinction of meats, and daily washings. For old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
Chapter XIX – To those who speak evil of the Law
For since ye have known God, through Jesus Christ, and all his dispensation, as it hath been from the beginning; that he gave a plain Law to assist the law of nature, such a one as is pure, salutary, and holy, in which he inscribed his own name; perfect, unfailing, complete in ten commands, unspotted, converting souls; which when the Hebrews forgot, he put them in mind of it by the prophet Malachi, saying, Remember ye the Law of Moses, the man of God, who gave you in charge commandments and ordinances. Which Law is so very holy and righteous, that even our Saviour, when on a certain time he healed one leper, and afterwards nine, said to the first, Go, show thyself to the high priest, and offer the gift which Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them; and afterwards to the nine, Go, show yourselves to the priests.
For nowhere hath he abrogated the Law, as Simon pretendeth, but he hath fulfilled it; for he saith, One jot or one tittle shall not pass from the law, until all be fulfilled. For, saith he, I came not to destroy the law, but to fulfil it. And indeed Moses himself, who was at once the lawgiver and the high priest, and the prophet and the king, and Elias, the zealous follower of the prophets, were present at our Lord’s transfiguration on the mountain, and witnesses of his incarnation and of his sufferings, as the friends and familiars of Christ, but not as enemies and strangers. Whence it is manifest that the Law is good and holy, as also the prophets.
Chapter XX – Which is the Law of Nature, and which is that afterwards introduced; and why it was introduced
Now the Law is the Decalogue, which the Lord promulgated to them with an audible voice, before the people made that calf which represented the Egyptian Apis. And the Law is righteous, and therefore is called the Law because its judgments are rightly made, according to nature; but the followers of Simon despise it, supposing that they shall not be judged thereby, and so shall escape punishment. This Law is good, holy, not forced; for it saith, If If thou wilt, make me an altar, thou shalt make it of earth. It doth not say, Make one; but, If thou wilt make. It doth not impose a necessity, but gave leave to their power as being free. For God needeth not sacrifices, since he is by nature above all want. But knowing that, as of old, Abel, beloved of God, and Noah, and Abraham, and those that succeeded, without being required, but only moved of themselves by the law of nature, offered sacrifice to God, out of a grateful mind; so he now permitted the Hebrews, not commanding, but if they chose, permitting them; and, if they offered from a right intention, showing himself pleased with their sacrifices. Therefore he saith, If thou desirest to offer, do not offer to me as to one that needeth, for I stand in need of nothing; for the world is mine, and the fulness thereof.
But when the people became forgetful of this, and called upon a calf as God, instead of the true God, and to him ascribed the cause of their coming out of Egypt, saying, These are thy gods, Israel, who have brought thee out of the land of Egypt; and when these men had committed wickedness with the similitude of a calf that eateth hay, and denied God, who had visited them by Moses, in their afflictions, and had done signs with his hand and rod, and had smitten the Egyptians with ten plagues; who had divided the waters of the Red Sea into two parts; who had led them in the midst of the water, as a horse upon the plain; who had drowned their enemies, and those that lay in wait for them; who, at Marah, had made sweet the bitter fountain; who had brought water out of the abrupt rock, till they were satisfied; who had overshadowed them with a pillar of a cloud, on account of the immoderate heat, and with a pillar of fire, which enlightened and guided them, when they knew not which way they were to go; who gave them manna from heaven, and gave them quails for flesh, from the sea; who gave them the Law in the mountain; whose voice they were deemed worthy to hear.
Him they denied, saying to Aaron, Make us gods who shall go before us. And they made a molten calf, and sacrificed to an idol. Then God was angry, as being ungratefully treated by them; and he bound them with bonds which could not be loosed, with a mortifying burden and a hard collar, and no longer said, If thou makest, but Make an altar, and sacrifice perpetually; for thou art forgetful and ungrateful. Offer burnt-offerings, therefore, continually, that thou mayest be mindful of me. For since thou hast wickedly abused thy power, I lay a necessity upon thee for the time to come; and I command thee to abstain from certain meats; and I ordain thee the distinction of clean and unclean creatures, although every creature is good, as being made by me. And I appoint thee several separations, purgations, frequent washings and sprinklings, and several times of rest; and if thou neglect any of them, I determine that punishment which is proper to the disobedient; that, being pressed and galled by thy collar, thou mayest depart from the error of polytheism, and, laying aside the declaration, These are thy gods, Israel, mayest be mindful of this, Hear, Israel, the Lord our God is one Lord; and mayest hasten back again to that law which is imparted by me to all men naturally, That there is only one God in heaven and on earth; and that it is thy duty to love him with all thy heart, and all thy might, and all thy mind; and to fear none but him, nor to admit the names of other gods into thy mind, nor to let thy tongue utter them out of thy mouth.
On account of the hardness of their hearts, he bound them, that by sacrificing, and by resting, and by purifications, and the like, they might come to the knowledge of God, who ordained these things for them.
Chapter XXI – That we, who believe in Christ, are under grace, and not under the
servitude of that additional Law
Blessed are your eyes, for they see; and your ears, for they hear; ye who have believed in the one God, not by necessity, but by a sound understanding, in obedience to Him that called you. For ye are released from the bonds, and freed from the servitude. For, saith he, I call you no longer servants, but friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father, have I made known unto you. For to them that would not see nor hear, not for the want of those senses, but for the excess of their wickedness, have statutes that were not good, and judgments whereby they should not live; “not good,” however, in their view: as instruments for burning, and the knife, and medicines, are esteemed enemies by the sick; and “impossible to be observed,” on account of their obstinacy. Whence also those statutes brought death upon them, being not obeyed.
Chapter XXII – That the Law for sacrifices is additional, which Christ, when he came, took away
Ye, therefore, are blessed, who are delivered from the curse; for Christ, the Son of God, by his coming, hath strengthened and completed the Law. He hath taken away the additional precepts, although not all of them, yet, at least, the more grievous ones; having confirmed the Law, and having caused these to cease; and he hath again set free the self-government of men, not subjecting it to the punishment of a temporal death, but requiring an account in another state. Wherefore he saith, If any man will come after me, let him. And again, Will ye also go away?
And, besides, before his coming, he refused the sacrifices of the people, while they frequently offered them, when they sinned against him, and thought that he was to be appeased by sacrifices, and not by repentance. For he saith thus, Why dost thou bring to me frankincense from Saba, and cinnamon from a remote land? Your burnt-offerings are not acceptable, and your sacrifices are not sweet to me. And afterwards, Gather your burnt-offerings together, with your sacrifices, and eat flesh; because I did not command you, when I brought you out of the land of Egypt, concerning burnt-offerings and sacrifices. And he saith by Isaiah, To what purpose do ye bring me a multitude of sacrifices? I am full of the burnt-offerings of rams, and I will not accept the fat of lambs, and the blood of bulls and of goats. Nor come ye to appear before me; for who hath required these things at your hands? Tread my courts no more. If ye bring me fine flour, it is vain. Incense is an abomination unto me. Your new moons, and your Sabbaths, and your great day, I cannot endure. Your fasts, and your rests, and your feasts, my soul hateth. I am overfull of them. And he saith by another, Depart from me. The sound of thy hymns, and the psalms of thy musical instruments, I will not hear. And Samuel said to Saul, when he thought to sacrifice, Obedience is better than sacrifice; and hearkening, than the fat of rams. For, behold, the Lord doth not so much delight in sacrifice, as in obeying him. And he saith by David, I will take no calves out of thy house, nor he-goats out of thy flock. If I should be hungry, I would not tell thee; for the whole world is mine, and the fulness thereof. Shall I eat the flesh of bulls, or drink the blood of goats? Sacrifice to God the sacrifice of praise, and pay thy vows to the Most High.
And in all the Scriptures, in like manner, he refuseth their sacrifices on account of their sinning against him. For the sacrifices of the wicked are an abomination with the Lord, since they offer them in an unlawful manner. And again, Their sacrifices are to them as bread of lamentation. All that eat of them shall be defiled. If, therefore, before his coming, he sought for a clean heart and a contrite spirit, more than sacrifices, much rather did he abrogate those sacrifices, we mean those by blood, when he came.
Yet he so abrogated them, as that he first fulfilled them. For he was both circumcised and sprinkled; and he offered sacrifices and whole burnt-offerings, and made use of the rest of the customs. And he that was the lawgiver became himself the fulfilling of the Law, not taking away the natural law, but abrogating those additional precepts that were afterwards introduced, although not all of them.
Chapter XXIII - How Christ became a Fulfiller of the Law; and what parts of it he caused to cease, or changed, or transferred
For he did not take away the law of nature, but confirmed it. For he that said in the Law, The Lord thy God is one Lord, the same said in the Gospel, That they might know thee the only true God. And he that said, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself, saith in the Gospel, renewing the same precept, A new commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another. He who then forbade murder, now forbiddeth causeless anger. He that forbade adultery, now forbiddeth all unlawful lust. He that forbade stealing, now pronounceth him most happy who, out of his own labors, supplieth the needy. He that forbade hatred, now requireth love, even towards enemies. He that limited retaliation, now requireth long-suffering, not as if just retaliation were an unjust thing, but because long-suffering is better. Nor did he make laws to destroy our natural passions, but only to forbid the excess of them. He who had commanded to honor parents, was himself subject to them. He who commanded to keep the Sabbath, by resting thereon, for the sake of meditating on the laws, hath now commanded us to consider the law of creation and of providence every day, and give thanks to God. He abrogated circumcision, when he had himself fulfilled it. For he it was to whom the inheritance was reserved, who was the expectation of the nations.
He who made a law for swearing rightly, and forbade perjury, hath now charged us not to swear at all. He hath in several ways changed baptism, sacrifice, the priesthood, and the divine service, which was confined to one place. For, instead of daily baptisms, he hath given only one, which is that into his death. Instead of one tribe, he hath appointed that, out of every nation, the best be ordained for the priesthood; and that not their bodies be examined for blemishes, but their religion and their lives. Instead of a bloody sacrifice, he hath appointed that reasonable, and unbloody, and mystical one of his body and blood, which is performed to represent by symbols the death of the Lord. Instead of the divine service confined to one place, he hath commanded and deemed it fitting that he should be glorified from the rising of the sun even unto the going down of the same, in every place of his dominion.
He did not, therefore, take away the Law from us, but the bonds. For concerning the Law, Moses saith, Thou shalt meditate on the word which I command thee, when thou sittest in thy house, and when thou risest up, and when thou walkest in the way. And David saith, His delight is in the law of the Lord, and in his law will he meditate day and night. Foreverywhere would he have us subject to his laws, but not transgressors of them. For saith he, Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the Lord. Blessed are they that search out his testimonies; with their whole heart shall they seek him. And again, Blessed are we, Israel, because those things that are pleasing to God are known to us. And the Lord saith, If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.
Chapter XXIV – That it pleased the Lord that the law of righteousness should be manifested also by Romans
Nor doth he desire that the law of righteousness should be exhibited through us only; but he is pleased that through Romans also it should appear and shine. For these also, when they have believed on the Lord, have withdrawn both from polytheism and from injustice; and they approve the good, and punish the bad. But they hold the Jews under tribute, and do not suffer them to make use of their own ordinances .
Chapter XXV – How God, on account of their impiety towards Christ, made the Jews captives , and placed them under tribute
Because, indeed, they drew servitude upon themselves voluntarily, wnen they said, We have no king but Ccesar. And, If we do not slay Christ, all men will believe on him; and the Romans will come, and will take away both our place and nation. And so they prophesied unwittingly; for, indeed, the Gentiles have believed on him; and they themselves have been deprived by the Romans of their power and of their legal worship. They are also forbidden to slay whom they please, and to sacrifice when they will. Wherefore they are accursed, not being able to perform the things commanded. For saith the Scripture, Cursed is he that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them. Now, it is impossible for them, in their dispersion, while they are among the heathen, to perform all things in their law. For the divine Moses forbiddeth both to rear an altar out of Jerusalem, and to read the law out of the bounds of Judea.
Let us therefore follow Christ, that we may inherit his blessings. Let us walk after the Law and the Prophets, by the Gospel. Let us eschew the worshippers of many gods, and the murderers of Christ, and the murderers of the prophets, and the wicked and atheistical heretics. Let us be obedient to Christ, as to our king, as having authority to change various constitutions, and having, as a legislator, wisdom to make new constitutions in different circumstances; yet so that everywhere the laws of nature be immutably preserved.
Chapter XXVI – That we ought to avoid the heretics, as the corrupters of souls
Therefore, Bishops, and ye of the laity, avoid all heretics, who abuse the Law and the Prophets. For they are enemies to Almighty God, and disobey him, and do not confess Christ to be the Son of God. For they also deny his generation according to the flesh; they are ashamed of his cross; they abuse his passion and death; they know not his resurrection; they take away his generation before all ages. Besides, some of them are impious after another manner, imagining the Lord to be a mere man; supposing him to consist of a soul and a body. But others of them suppose that Jesus himself is the God over all, and glorify him as being his own Father, and suppose him to be both the Son and the Comforter; than which doctrines what can be more impious? Others, again, of them refuse certain meats, and say that marriage, with the procreation of children, is evil, and the contrivance of the devil; and, being ungodly themselves, they are not willing to rise again, on account of their wickedness. Wherefore also they ridicule the resurrection, and say, “We are holy people,” unwilling to eat and to drink; and they fancy that from the dead they shall arise, spirits without flesh, who shall be condemned forever in eternal fire. Fly, therefore, from them, lest ye perish with them in their impieties.
Chapter XXVII – Of some Jewish and Gentile observances
Now if any persons keep to the Jewish observances concerning gonorrhoeas and nocturnal pollutions, and the lawful conjugal acts; let them tell us whether, in those hours or days when they undergo any such thing, they observe not to pray, or to touch a sacred book, or to partake of the Eucharist? And if they own it to be so, it is plain that they are void of the Holy Spirit, which always continueth with the faithful. For concerning holy persons Solomon saith, That every one may prepare himself, that so when he sleepeth, it may keep him; and when he ariseth, it may talk with him.
For if thou thinkest, woman, when thou art seven days in thy separation, that thou art void of the Holy Spirit, then, if thou die suddenly, thou wilt depart void of the Spirit, and without assured hope in God. Or indeed thou hast the Spirit altogether inseparable, as not being in a place. And it is suitable for thee to offer prayer, and receive the Eucharist, and enjoy the coming of the Holy Spirit, as having been guilty of no fault in this matter. For neither lawful mixture, nor child-bearing, nor the menstrual purgation, nor nocturnal pollution, can defile the nature of a man, or separate the Holy Spirit from him. Nothing but wickedness and unlawful practice can do that. For the Holy Spirit always abideth with those who are possessed of it, so long as they are worthy; and those from whom it is departed, it leaveth desolate, and exposed to the wicked spirit.
Now every man is filled either with the Holy or with the Unclean Spirit; and it is not possible to avoid both the one and the other, unless they can receive opposite spirits. For the Comforter hateth every lie, and the devil hateth all truth. But every one that is baptized agreeably to the truth is separated from the Diabolical Spirit, and is under the Holy Spirit; and the Holy Spirit remaineth with him, so long as he is doing good, and filleth him with wisdom and understanding, and suffereth not the wicked spirit to approach him, but watcheth over his goings.
If, therefore, woman, as thou sayest, thou art, in the days of thy separation, void of the Holy Spirit, thou art filled with the unclean one; for, by neglecting to pray and to read, thou wilt invite him to thee, though he were unwilling. For this spirit, if any other, loveth the ungrateful, the slothful, the careless, and the drowsy, since he himself by ingratitude was distempered with an evil mind, and was deprived by God of his dignity; having chosen to be a devil, instead of an archangel. Wherefore, woman, eschew such vain words, and be ever mindful of God that created thee, and pray to him. For he is thy Lord, and the Lord of the universe; and meditate on his laws, observing nothing superstitiously, neither the natural purgation, nor lawful mixture, nor childbirth, nor a miscarriage, nor a blemish of the body; since such observances are the vain and unreasonable inventions of foolish men.
Neither the burial of a man, nor a dead man’s bone, nor a sepulchre, nor any particular sort of food, nor nocturnal pollution, can defile the soul of man; but only impiety towards God, and transgression and injustice towards one’s neighbor; I mean rapine, violence, or if there be anything contrary to his righteousness, as adultery or fornication.
Wherefore, beloved, avoid and eschew such observances; for they are heathenish. For we do not abominate a dead man as the heathen do, since we hope that he will live again. Nor do we hate lawful mixture; for it is their practice to be wicked in such things. For the conjunction of man and wife, if it be with righteousness, is agreeable to the mind of God. For he that made them at the beginning made them male and female; and he blessed them, and said, Increase and multiply, and fill the earth. If, therefore, the difference of sexes was made by the will of God for the generation of multitudes, then must the conjunction of male and female be also agreeable to his mind.
Chapter XXVIII – Of the love of boys, adultery, and fornication
But we do not say so of that mixture which is contrary to nature, or of any unlawful practice; for such are enmity to God. For the sin of Sodom is contrary to nature, as is also that with irrational animals; but adultery and fornication are against the Law. Of which vices the first-mentioned are impieties; one of the others is an injustice, and the last is a sin. But none of them is without its punishment according to its own nature.
For the practisers of the first sort of lewdness attempt the dissolution of the world, and endeavor to make the natural course of things change for one that is unnatural. But those of the second sort, the adulterers, are unjust, by corrupting others’ marriages, and dividing into two what God hath made one, rendering the children suspected, and exposing the true husband to the snares of others. And fornication is the destruction of one’s own flesh, as it is done not for the procreation of children, but entirely for the sake of pleasure; which is a mark of incontinency, and not a sign of virtue.
Moreover, all these things are forbidden by the Law; for thus say the oracles: Thou shalt not lie with mankind as with womankind; for such a one is accursed; and ye shall stone them with stones. They have wrought abomination. Everyone that lieth with a beast, slay ye him. He hath wrought wickedness in his people. And if anyone defile a married woman, slay ye them both. They have wrought wickedness; they are guilty; let them die. And afterwards, There shall not be a fornicator among the sons of Israel, and there shall not be a fornicatress among the daughters of Israel. Thou shalt not offer the hire of a harlot to the Lord thy God upon the altar, nor the price of a dog. For the vows arising from the hire of a harlot are not clean.
These things the laws have forbidden; but they have honored marriage, and have called it blessed; since God hath blessed it, who joined male and female together. And wise Solomon somewhere saith, A wife is suited to her husband by the Lord; and David saith, Thy wife is like a flourishing vine by the sides of thy house; thy children, like olive branches round about thy table. Behold, thus shall the man be blessed that feareth the Lord.
Wherefore marriage is honorable, and comely, and the begetting of children pure; for there is no evil in that which is good. Therefore neither is the natural purgation abominable before God, who hath ordered it to happen to women within the space of thirty days for their advantage and healthful state, who are more confined than men, as keeping usually at home in the house. Nay more, in the Gospel, where the woman with the perpetual purgation of blood touched the saving border of the Lord’s garment, in hope of being healed, he was not angry at her, nor did he complain of her at all. But, on the contrary, he healed her, saying, Thy faith hath saved thee. When the natural purgations appear in the wives, let not their husbands approach them, out of regard to the children to be begotten; for the Law hath forbidden it. For it saith, Thou shalt not come near your wife when she is in her separation, or indeed let them frequent their wives’ company when they are with child. For they do this, not for the begetting of children, but for the sake of pleasure. Now a lover of God ought not to be a lover of pleasure.
Chapter XXIX – How Wives ought to be subject to their own Husbands, and Husbands to love their own Wives
Ye wives, be subject to your own husbands, and have them in esteem, and serve them with fear and love, as holy Sarah honored Abraham. For she could not endure to call him by his name; but called him Lord, when she said My Lord is old. In like manner, ye husbands, love your own wives, as your own members, as partners in life, and fellow-helpers for the procreation of children. For the Scripture saith, Rejoice with the wife of thy youth. Let her conversation be to thee as a loving hind, and a pleasant foal; let her alone guide thee, and be with thee at all times. For if thou be every way encompassed with her friendship, thou wilt be happy in her society. Love them, therefore, as your own members, as your very bodies; for so it is written, Ttie Lord hath testified between thee and between the wife of thy youth. And she is thy partner; and another hath not made her; and she is the remains of thy spirit. And, Take ye heed to your spirit; and forsake not thou the wife of thy youth.
A husband, therefore, and a wife, when they company together in lawful marriage, and rise from one another, may pray without any observances; and, without washing, are clean. But whoever corrupteth and defileth another man’s wife, or is defiled with a harlot; when he ariseth up from her, though he wash himself in the entire ocean and all the rivers, cannot be clean.
Chapter XXX – That it is the custom of Jews and , Gentiles to observe natural purgations, and to abominate the remains of the dead; but that all this is contrary to Christianity
Be not scrupulous, therefore, about things ceremonial and natural, as thinking that ye are defiled by them. Nor seek after Jewish separations, nor perpetual washings, nor purifications upon the touch of a dead body. But, without such observances, assemble in the cemeteries, reading the holy books, and singing for the martyrs who are fallen asleep in the Lord, and for all the saints from the beginning of the world, and for your brethren that are asleep in the Lord; and offer the acceptable Eucharist, the representation of the royal body of Christ, both in your churches and in the cemeteries; and, at the funerals of the departed, accompany them forth with songs if they were faithful in Christ. For, Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints. And again, my soul, return unto thy rest; for the Lord hath done thee good. And elsewhere, The memory of the just is with encomiums. And, The souls of the righteous are in the hands of God. For those that have believed in God, although they are asleep, are not dead. For our Saviour saith to the Sadducees, But concerning the resurrection of the dead, have ye not read that which is written, I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? God, therefore, is not the God of the dead, but of the living; for all live to him. Wherefore of those that live with God, even the very relics are not without honor. For even Elisha the prophet, after he was fallen asleep, raised up a dead man who had been slain by the pirates of Syria. For his body touched the bones of Elisha, and he arose and lived. Now this would not have happened, unless the body of Elisha were holy. And chaste Joseph embraced Jacob after he was deceased, upon his bed. And Moses and Joshua the son of Nun, carried away the relics of Joseph, and did not esteem this a defilement. Whence ye also, Bishops, and the rest, who, without such observances, touch the departed, ought not to think yourselves defiled. Nor abhor the relics of these persons; but avoid such observances, for they are foolish. And adorn yourselves with holiness and chastity, that ye may become partakers of immortality, and partners of the kingdom of God, and may receive the promise of God, and may rest forever, through Jesus Christ our Saviour.
To him, therefore, who is able to open the ears of your hearts to the receiving of the oracles of God administered to you, both by the Gospel, and by the doctrine of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, who was crucified under Pontius Pilate and Herod, and died, and rose again from the dead; and will come again at the end of the world with power and great glory, and will raise the dead, and put an end to this world, and distribute to everyone according to his deserts; to him who hath given us himself for an earnest of the resurrection; who was taken up into the heavens by the power of his God and Father, in our sight, we having eaten and drunk with him for forty days after he arose from the dead; who is sat down on the right hand of the throne of the majesty of Almighty God upon the cherubim; to whom it was said, Sit thou on my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool; whom the most blessed Stephen saw standing at the right hand of power, and cried out and said, Behold I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God, as the High Priest of all the rational orders; through him, worship, and majesty, and glory, be given to Almighty God, both now and forever. Amen.
END OF BOOK VI
BOOK VII – Concerning Deportment, And The Eucharist, And Initiation Into Christ.
Chapter I – That there are two ways; the one natural, of life, and the other introduced afterwards, of death; and that the former is from God, and the latter of error, from the snares of the adversary
THE lawgiver Moses said to the Israelites, Behold, I have set before your face the way of life and the way of death; and added, Choose life, that thou mayest live. Elijah the prophet also said to the people, How long will ye halt with both your legs? If the Lord be God, follow him. The Lord Jesus also said justly, No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. We also, following our Master Christ, who is the Saviour of all men, especially of those that believe, are obliged to say that there are two ways, the one of life, the other of death: which have no comparison one with another; for they are very different, or rather entirely separate. And the way of life is natural, but that of death was afterwards introduced; it not being according to the mind of God, but from the snares of the adversary.
Chapter II – Moral exhortations of the Lord’s constitutions agreeing with the ancient prohibitions of the divine Law; The prohibition of anger, corruption, adultery, and every forbidden action
The first way, therefore, is that of life, and is this, which the Law also appointeth, To love the Lord God with all thy mind, and with all thy soul, who is the one and only God, besides whom there is no other; and thy neighbor as thyself. And whatsoever thou art unwilling to have done to thee, that do not thou to another. Bless them that curse you; Pray for them that despitefully use you. Love your enemies . For what thanks is it if ye love those that love you? For even the Gentiles do the same. But love ye those that hate you, and ye shall have no enemy. For it saith, Thou shalt not hate any man, no, not an Egyptian, nor an Edomite. For they are all the workmanship of God. Avoid not the persons, but the sentiments, of the wicked. Abstain from fleshly and worldly lusts.
If anyone smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. Not that retaliation is evil, but that patience is more honorable. For David saith, If I have made returns to them that repaid me evil. If anyone compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain. And he that will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloak also. And from him that taketh thy goods require them not again.
Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away and shut thy hand. For the righteous man is compassionate, and lendeth. For your Father would have you give to all, who himself maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth his rain on the just and on the unjust. It is therefore reasonable to give to all out of thine own labors. For the Scripture saith, Honor the Lord out of thy righteous labors; but so that the saints be preferred.
Thou shalt not kill; that is, thou shalt not destroy a man like thyself; for thou dissolvest what was well made. Not as if all killing were wicked, but only that of the innocent; but the killing which is just, is reserved to the magistrates alone.
Thou shalt not commit adultery; for thou dividest one flesh into two. They two shall be one flesh. For the husband and wife are one in nature, in consent, in union, in disposition, and the conduct of life. But they are separated in sex and in number.
Thou shalt not corrupt boys; for this wickedness is contrary to nature, and arose from Sodom, which was consumed with fire sent from God. Let such a one be accursed; and all the people shall say, So be it.
Thou shalt not commit fornication. For the Scripture saith, There shall not be a fornicator among the sons of Israel.
Thou shalt not steal. For Achan, when he had stolen in Israel at Jericho, was stoned to death; and Gehazi, who stole, and told a lie, inherited the leprosy of Naaman; and Judas, who stole the money of the poor, betrayed the Lord of glory to the Jews, and repented, and hanged himself, and burst asunder in the midst, and all his bowels gushed out; and Ananias and Sapphira his wife, who stole their own goods, and tempted the Spirit of the Lord, were immediately, at the sentence of Peter our fellow-apostle, struck dead.
Chapter III – Prohibition of conjuring, murder of infants, perjury, and false witness
Thou shalt not use magic. Thou shalt not use witchcraft. For the Scripture saith, Ye shall not suffer those to live who practise sorcery.
Thou shalt not slay thy child by causing abortion, nor kill that which is begotten. Foreverything that is shaped, and hath received a soul from God, if it be slain, shall be avenged, as being unjustly destroyed.
Thou shalt not covet the things that belong to thy neighbor, as his wife, or his servant, or his ox, or his field.
Thou shalt not forswear thyself; for it is said, Swear not at all. But if that cannot be, thou shalt swear piously and truly. Everyone that sweareth by him shall be commended.
Thou shalt not bear false witness. For he that falsely accuseth the needy provoketh to anger him that made him.
Chapter IV – Prohibition of evil speaking, and wrath, of deceitful conduct, idle words, falsehood, covetousness, and hypocrisy
Thou shalt not speak evil. For the Scripture saith, Love not to speak evil, lest thou be taken away. Nor shalt thou be mindful of injuries; for the ways of those that remember injuries are unto death.
Thou shalt not be double-minded nor double-tongued. For a man’s own lips are a strong snare to him; and a talkative person shall not be prospered upon the earth.
Thy words shall not be vain. For ye shall give account of every idle word.
Thou shalt not lie. For the Scripture saith, Thou wilt destroy all those that speak lies.
Thou shalt not be covetous nor rapacious. For it saith, Woe to him that is covetous towards his neighbor, with an evil covetousness.
Thou shalt not be a hypocrite, lest thy portion be with them.
Chapter V – Prohibition of malignity, acceptation of persons, prolonged anger, and detraction
Thou shalt not be ill-natured nor proud. For God resisteth the proud.
Thou shalt not accept persons in judgment; for the judgment is the Lord’s.
Thou shalt not hate any man; thou shalt surely reprove thy brother, and not become guilty on his account. And, Reprove a wise man, and he will love thee. Eschew all evil, and all that is like it. For, saith the Scripture, Abstain from injustice, and trembling shall not come nigh thee.
Be not soon angry, nor spiteful, nor passionate, nor furious, nor daring, lest thou undergo the fate of Cain, and of Saul, and of Joab; for the first of these slew his brother Abel, because Abel was found to be preferred before him with God, and because Abel’s sacrifice was preferred; the second persecuted holy David, who had slain Goliath the Philistine, being envious upon the praises of the women who danced; the third slew two generals of armies, Abner of Israel, and Amasa of Judah.
Chapter VI – Concerning augury and enchantments
Be not a diviner; for that leadeth to idolatry. Besides, Divination, saith Samuel, is a sin. And, There shall be no divination in Jacob, nor soothsaying in Israel. Thou shalt not use enchantments or purifications for thy child. Thou shalt not be a soothsayer, nor a diviner by great or little birds. Nor shalt thou learn wicked arts. For all these things the law hath forbidden.
Long not for what is evil; for thou wilt be led into much sin.
Speak not obscenely, nor use wanton glances, nor be a drunkard. For from such causes arise whoredoms and adulteries.
Be not a lover of money, lest thou serve mammon, instead of God.
Be not vain-glorious, nor elated, nor haughty; for hence spring manifestations of arrogance. Remember him who said, Lord, my heart is not haughty, nor mine eyes lofty; I have not exercised myself in great matters, nor in things too high for me. Surely I was humble.
Chapter VII – Prohibition of murmuring, arrogance, pride, and audacity
Be not a murmurer, remembering the punishment which they underwent who murmured against Moses. Be not self-willed; be not malicious; be not hard-hearted; be not passionate; be not pusillanimous. For all these things lead to blasphemy. But be meek, as were Moses and David; since the meek shall inherit the earth.
Chapter VIII – Of Long-suffering , simplicity, meekness, and patience
Be slow to wrath; for such a one is very prudent; since he that is hasty of spirit is a very fool.
Be merciful; for blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.
Be sincere, quiet, good, trembling at the word of God.
Thou shalt not exalt thyself, as did the Pharisee; foreveryone that exalteth himself shall be abased. And that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination with God.
Thou shalt not entertain temerity in thy soul; for a rash man shall fall into mischief.
Thou shalt not go along with the foolish; but with the wise and righteous. For he that walketh with wise men shall be wise; but he that walketh with the foolish shall be known.
Receive the afflictions that befall thee, with an even mind; and reverses, without overmuch sorrow; knowing that a reward shall be given to thee from God, as was given to Job and to Lazarus.
Chapter IX – That it is our duty to esteem our Christian teachers above our parents; the former being the means of our well-being, the other only of our being.
Thou shalt honor him that speaketh to thee the Word of God, and be mindful of him, day and night; and thou shalt reverence him, not as the cause of thy being, but as the cause of thy well-being. For where the doctrine concerning God is, there God is present. Thou shalt every day seek the face of the saints, that thou mayest acquiesce in their words.
Chapter X – That we ought not to separate ourselves from the saints, but to make peace between those that quarrel, to judge righteously, and not to accept persons
Thou shalt not make schisms among the saints, but be mindful of the followers of Corah.
Thou shalt make peace between those that are at variance, as Moses did, when he persuaded them to be friends.
Thou shalt judge righteously; for the judgment is the Lord’s. Thou shalt not accept persons when thou reprovest for sins; but do as Elijah and Micaiah did to Ahab; and Ebedmelech the Ethiopian to Zedekiah, and Nathan to David, and John to Herod.
Chapter XL – Concerning him that is double-minded, or of little faith
Be not of a doubtful mind in thy prayer, whether it shall be granted or not. For the Lord said to me, Peter, upon the sea, thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt? Be not thou ready to stretch out thy hand to receive, and to shut it when thou shouldst give.
Chapter XII – Of doing good
If thou hast by the work of thy hands, give, that thou mayest labor for the redemption of thy sins. For by alms and acts of faith, sins are purged away. Thou shalt not grudge to give to the poor; nor, when thou hast given, shalt thou murmur. For thou shalt know who will repay thee thy reward; for the Scripture saith, He that hath pity on the poor, lendeth to the Lord; and according to his gift so it shall be repaid him again. Thou shalt not turn away from him that is needy. For it saith, He that stoppeth his ears, that he may not hear the cry of the needy, himself also shall call, and there shall be none to hear him. Thou shalt communicate in all things to thy brother, and shalt not say that they are thine own. For the common participation of the necessaries of life is prepared by God for all men. Thou shalt not take off thy hand from thy son, or from thy daughter, but shalt teach them the fear of God from their youth. For it saith, Correct thy son; so shall he afford thee good hope.
Chapter XIII – How masters ought to behave themselves to their servants; and how
servants ought to be subject
Thy man-servant or thy maid-servant, who trust in the same God, thou shalt not command with bitterness of spirit; lest they groan against thee, and wrath be upon thee from God. And ye servants, be subject to your masters, as to the representatives of God, with attention and fear, as to the Lord, and not to men.
Chapter XIV – Concerning hypocrisy, and obedience to the laws, and confession of sins
Thou shalt hate all hypocrisy; and thou shalt do whatsoever is pleasing to the Lord. By no means forsake the commands of the Lord; but observe the things which thou hast received from him, neither adding to them, nor taking away from them. For thou shalt not add unto his words, lest he convict thee, and thou become a liar.
Thou shalt confess thy sins to the Lord thy God; and thou shalt not add to them anymore, that it may be well with thee from the Lord thy God, who willeth not the death of a sinner, but his repentance.
Chapter XV – Concerning the regard due to parents
Thou shalt be observant to thy father and mother, as the causes of thy being born; that thou mayest live long on the earth, which the Lord thy God giveth thee. Overlook not thy brethren and thy kindred. For thou shalt not overlook those who are nearly related to thee.
Chapter XVI – Concerning the subjection due to the king and to rulers
Thou shalt fear the king, knowing that his appointment is of the Lord. His rulers thou shalt honor, as the ministers of God; for they are the avengers of all unrighteousness; to whom pay taxes, tribute, and every oblation, with a willing mind.
Chapter XVII – Concerning the pure conscience of those that pray
Thou shalt not proceed to thy prayer in the day of thy wickedness, before thou hast laid aside thy bitterness. This is the way of life; in which may ye be found, through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Chapter XVIII – That the way which was afterwards introduced by the snares of the adversary, is full of impiety and wickedness
But the way of death is known by its wicked practices; for in it are ignorance of God, and the introduction of many evils, and disorders, and disturbances; through which come murders, adulteries, fornications, perjuries, unlawful lusts, thefts, idolatries, magic arts, witchcrafts, rapines, false testimonies, hypocrisies, double-heartedness, deceit, pride, malice, insolence, covetousness, obscene talk, jealousy, rashness, haughtiness, arrogance, impudence, persecution of the good, enmity to truth, love of lies, ignorance of righteousness. For they who do such things adhere not to goodness, nor to righteous judgment. They watch not for good, but for evil; from whom meekness and patience are far off; who love vain things, pursuing after reward, having no pity on the poor, not laboring for him that is in misery, nor knowing Him that made them; murderers of infants, destroyers of the workmanship of God; who turn away from the needy, adding affliction to the afflicted; the flatterers of the rich; the despisers of the poor; full of sin.
May you, children, be delivered from all these.
Chapter XIX – That we must not turn from the way of piety, either to the right nor to the left
See that no one seduce thee from piety. For, saith God, Thou mayest not turn aside from it, to the right hand nor to the left; that thou mayest have understanding in all that thou doest. For if thou turn not out of the right way, thou wilt not be wicked.
Chapter XX – That we ought not to despise any of the sorts of food that are set before us, but gratefully and orderly to partake of them
Now, concerning the several sorts of food, the Lord saith to thee, Ye shall eat the good things of the earth. And all sorts of flesh shall ye eat, as the green herb; but thou shalt pour out the blood. For not those things that go into the mouth, but those that come out of it, defile a man: I mean blasphemies, evil-speaking, and if there be any other thing of the like nature. But do thou eat the fat of the land, with righteousness.
For if there be anything pleasant, it is His; and if there be anything good, it is His: wheat for the young men, and wine to cheer the maids. For who shall eat, or who shall drink, without him? And wise Ezra admonisheth thee, saying, Go your way, and eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and be not sorrowful.
Chapter XXI – That we ought to avoid the eating of things offered to idols
But abstain from things offered to idols, that ye may not become partners with demons; for the Gentiles offer those things in honor of demons, that is, to the dishonor of the one God.
Chapter XXII – A constitution of our Lord, how we ought to baptize, and into whose death
Now, concerning baptism, bishop or presbyter, we have already given direction; and we now say that thou shalt so baptize as the Lord commanded us, saying, Go ye, and teach all nations; baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost; teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: of the Father who sent; of Christ who came; of the Comforter who testified.
But thou shalt first anoint the person with the holy oil, and afterwards thou shalt baptize him with water, and in the conclusion thou seal him with ointment; that the anointing with oil may be the participation of the Holy Spirit, and the water the symbol of the death of Christ, and the ointment the seal of the covenants. But if there be neither oil nor ointment, water is sufficient, both for the anointing and for the seal, and for the confession of him that is dying, namely, dying together with [Christ] .
Moreover, before baptism, let him that is to be baptized, fast. For even the Lord, when he was first baptized by John, and abode in the wilderness, afterwards fasted forty days and forty nights. But he was baptized, and then fasted, not having himself any need of cleansing, or of fasting, or of purification, who was, by nature, pure and holy; but that he might both testify the truth to John, and afford to us an example. Wherefore our Lord was not baptized into his own passion, or death, or resurrection; for none of those things had then happened; but for another purpose. On which account he, by his own authority, fasted after his baptism, as being the Lord of John.
But he who is to be initiated into his death, ought first to fast, and then to be baptized. For it is not reasonable that he who has been buried with Christ, and is risen again with him, should appear dejected at his very resurrection. For man is not Lord of our Saviour’s constitution, since one is the Master, and the other the servant.
Chapter XXIII – Which days of the week we ought to fast, and which not, and for what reasons
But let not your fasts be with the hypocrites; for they fast on the second and fifth days of the week. But do ye fast either the five days, or the fourth day and the day of the Preparation, because on the fourth day the condemnation went out against the Lord, Judas then promising to betray him for money; and ye must fast the day of the Preparation, because on that day the Lord suffered the death of the cross, under Pontius Pilate. Yet the Sabbath and the Lord’s day keep as festivals, because the former is the memorial of the creation, and the latter of the resurrection. And in the whole year there is only one Sabbath to be otherwise observed by you, that of our Lord’s burial, on which men ought to keep a fast, but not a festival. For inasmuch as the Creator was then under the earth, the sorrow for him is more forcible than the joy for the creation; because the Creator is more honorable by nature and dignity than his own creatures.
Chapter XXIV – What sort of people they ought to be who offer the prayer that was given by the Lord
Now when ye pray, be not as the hypocrites; but as the Lord hath appointed us in the Gospel, so pray ye: Our Father who art in heaven; hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come; thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom forever. Amen.
Pray thus thrice in a day, preparing yourselves beforehand, that ye may be worthy of the adoption of the Father, lest, when ye call him Father unworthily, ye be reproached by him, as Israel once his first-born son was told, If I be a Father, where is my glory?
And if I be a Lord, where is my fear? For the glory of fathers is the holiness of their children, and the honor of masters is the fear of their servants; as the contrary is dishonor and confusion. For saith he, Through you my name is blasphemed among the Gentiles.
Chapter XXV – A Mystical Thanksgiving
But be ye always thankful, as faithful and honest servants; and, in respect to the Eucharist, say thus:
We thank thee, our Father, for that life which thou hast made known to us by Jesus thy Son, by whom thou madest all things, and takest care of the whole world; whom thou hast sent to become man for our salvation; whom thou hast permitted to suffer and to die; whom thou hast raised up, and been pleased to glorify, and hast seated at thy right hand; by whom also thou hast promised us the resurrection of the dead. Do thou, Lord Almighty, everlasting God, so gather together thy church from the ends of the earth into thy kingdom, as THIS was once scattered, and is now become one loaf. We also, our Father, thank thee for the precious blood of Jesus Christ, which was shed for us, and for his precious body, of which we celebrate these representations, as he himself appointed us, to shoiv forth his death. For through him glory shall be given to thee forever. Amen.
Let no one eat of them that is not initiated; but those only who have been baptized into the death of the Lord.
But if anyone that is not initiated conceal himself, and partake, he eateth eternal condemnation; because, being not of the faith of Christ, he hath partaken of such things as it is not lawful for him to partake of, to his own punishment. But if anyone be a partaker through ignorance, instruct him quickly, and initiate him, that he may not go out a despiser.
XXVI – A Thanksgiving at the divine participation
After the participation, give thanks in this manner: We thank thee, God and Father of Jesus our Saviour, for thy holy name which thou hast caused to dwell among us, and for the knowledge, faith, love, and immortality, which thou hast given us through thy Son Jesus. Thou, Almighty Lord, the God of the universe, hast by him created the world, and the things that are therein; and hast planted a law in our souls, and beforehand hast prepared things for the convenience of men. God of our holy and blameless fathers, Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, thy faithful servants; thou, God, who art powerful, faithful, and true, and without deceit in thy promises; who didst send upon earth Jesus thy Christ to converse with men, as a man, when he was God the Word, and Man, to take away error by the roots; do thou thyself even now through him be mindful of this thy holy church, which thou hast purchased with the precious blood of thy Christ, and deliver it from all evil, and perfect it in thy love and thy truth, and gather us all together into thy kingdom which thou hast prepared. Maranatha: Our Lord is come. Hosanna to the Son of David, Blessed be he that cometh in the name of the Lord (God the Lord, who was manifested to us in the flesh.) If anyone be holy, let him draw near; but if anyone be not such, let him become such by repentance. Permit also your Presbyters to give thanks.
XXVII – A Thanksgiving in respect to the mystical ointment
Concerning the ointment, give thanks in this manner:
We give thee thanks, God, the Creator of the whole world, both for the fragrancy of the ointment, and for the immortality which thou hast made known to us by thy Son Jesus; since thine are the glory and the power, forever. Amen.
Whosoever cometh to you, and giveth thanks in this manner receive him as a disciple of Christ. But if he preach another doctrine, different from that which Christ by us hath delivered to you, ye must not permit him to give thanks; for such a one insulteth God rather than glorifieth him.
Chapter XXVIII – That we ought not to be indifferent about fellowship
But whosoever cometh to you, let him be first examined, and then received; for ye have understanding, and are able to know the right hand from the left, and to distinguish false teachers from the true. But when a teacher cometh to you, supply him cordially with what he needeth. And even when a false teacher cometh, ye shall give him for his necessity, but shall not receive his error. Nor indeed may ye pray together with him, lest ye be polluted with him.
Every true prophet or teacher that cometh to you is worthy of his maintenance, as being a laborer in the word of righteousness.
Chapter XXIX – A constitution concerning oblations
All the first-fruits of the wine-press, the threshing-floor, the oxen, and the sheep, thou shalt give to the Priests, that thy store houses and garners, and the products of thy land, may be blessed; and that thou mayest be strengthened with corn, and wine, and oil; and that the herds of thy cattle, and the flocks of thy sheep, may be increased. Thou shalt give the tenth of thine increase to the orphan, and to the widow, and to the poor, and to the stranger. All the first-fruits of thy hot bread, of thy barrels of wine or oil, or honey, or nuts, or grapes, or the first-fruits of other things, thou shalt give to the Priests; but those of silver, and of garments, and of every kind of possessions, to the orphan and to the widow.
Chapter XXX – How we ought to assemble together, and celebrate the festival day of
our Saviour’s resurrection
On the day of the resurrection of the Lord, that is, the Lord’s day, assemble yourselves together, without fail; giving thanks to God, and praising him for those mercies which God hath bestowed upon you, through Christ, in delivering you from ignorance, error, and bondage; that your sacrifice may be unspotted, and acceptable to God, who hath said concerning his church universal, In every place shall incense and a pure sacrifice be offered unto me; for l am a great king, saith the Lord Almighty, and my name is Wonderful among the heathen.
Chapter XXXI – Priesthood Holders – What qualifications they ought to have, who are to be ordained
Moreover, elect Bishops worthy of the Lord, and Presbyters, and Deacons, pious men, righteous, meek, free from the love of money, lovers of truth, approved, holy, impartial, able to teach the word of piety, and rightly dividing the doctrines of the Lord. And honor ye them as your fathers, as your lords, as your benefactors, as the causes of your well-being. Reprove ye one another, not in anger, but in mildness, with kindness and peace.
Observe all things that are commanded you by the Lord. Be watchful for your life. Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning; and ye yourselves like unto men who wait for their Lord, when he will come; at even, or in the morning, or at cock-crowing, or at midnight. For at what hour they think not the Lord will come. And if they open to him, blessed are those servants, because they were found watching. For he will gird himself, ,and make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth, and serve them.
Watch, therefore, and pray, that ye do not sleep unto death. For your former good deeds will not profit you, if at the last part of your life ye go astray from the true faith.
Chapter XXXII – A Prediction concerning events which are to occur
For in the last days false prophets shall be multiplied, and such as corrupt the word; and the sheep shall be changed into wolves, and love into hatred; for, through the abounding of iniquity, the love of many shall wax cold. For men shall hate, and persecute and betray one another. And then shall appear the deceiver of the world, the enemy of the truth, the prince of lies, whom the Lord Jesus shall destroy with the Spirit of his mouth; who taketh away the wicked with his lips. And many shall be offended at him. But they that endure to the end, the same shall be saved. And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven. Thereupon shall be the voice of a trumpet by the archangel, and immediately the revival of those that were asleep. And then shall the Lord come, and all his saints with a great concussion above the clouds, with the angels of his power, on the throne of his kingdom, to condemn the deceiver of the world, and to render to every one according to his deeds. Then shall the wicked go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous shall go into life eternal, to inherit those things which eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man such things as God hath prepared for them that love him; and they shall rejoice in the kingdom of God, which is in Christ Jesus.
Since now we have been honored with so great blessings from him, let us become his supplicants, and call upon him by continual prayer, saying:
Chapter XXXIII – A Prayer declarative of God’s various providence
Eternal Saviour, the king of gods, who alone art almighty, and the Lord, the God of all beings, and the God of our holy and blameless fathers, and of those before us; the God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob; who art merciful and compassionate, long-suffering, and abundant in mercy; to whom every heart is naked, and by whom every heart is seen, and to whom every secret thought is revealed: to thee do the souls of the righteous cry aloud; upon thee do the hopes of the godly trust, thou Father of the blameless, thou hearer of the supplications of those that call upon thee with uprightness, and who knowest the supplications that are not uttered. For thy providence reacheth to the inmost parts of men, and by thy knowledge thou searchest the thoughts of every one; and in every region of the whole earth the incense of prayer and supplication is sent up to thee.
Thou who hast appointed this present world as a place of combat to righteousness, and hast opened to all the gate of mercy, and hast shown to every man, by implanted knowledge, and natural judgment, and the admonitions of the Law, that the possession of riches is not everlasting, the ornament of beauty is not perpetual, our strength and force are easily dissolved; all indeed is vapor and vanity; and nothing but consciousness of faith unfeigned passeth through the midst of the heavens, and, returning with truth, taketh hold of the right hand of the joy which is to come. And, withal, before the promise of the restoration of all things is accomplished, the soul itself exulteth in hope, and is joyful. For from the beginning, when our forefather Abraham was laboring after the way of truth, thou, by a vision, didst guide him, teaching him what kind of a state this world is; and knowledge went before his faith, and faith ensued upon his knowledge, and the covenant was a consequence of his faith. For thou saidst, I will make thy seed as the stars of heaven, and as the sand which is by the sea-shore. Still further, when thou hadst, given him Isaac, and knewest him to be similar in his character, thou wast called also his God, saying, I will be a God to thee, and to thy seed after thee.
And when our father Jacob was sent into Mesopotamia, thou showedst him Christ, and by him spakest, saying, Behold, I am with thee, and I will increase thee, and multiply thee exceedingly. And thus spakest thou to Moses, thy faith ful and holy servant, at the vision of the bush, I am he that is. This is my name forever, and this is my memorial unto all generations. thou Protector of the posterity of Abraham, blessed art thou forever.
XXXIV – A Prayer declarative of God’s various creation
Blessed art thou, Lord, the King of ages, who, through Christ, hast made the whole world, and through him, in the beginning, didst reduce into order the disordered parts; who didst divide the waters from the waters by a firmament, and didst put into them a spirit of life; who didst fix the earth, and stretch out the heaven, and didst dispose every creature by an accurate constitution. For by thy power, Lord, the world is beautified; the heaven is fixed as an arch over us, and is rendered illustrious with stars, for our comfort in the darkness. The light, also, and the sun, were produced for days, and for the production of fruits; and the moon for the change of seasons, by its increase and diminutions; and night and day received their respective names. The firmament, moreover, was exhibited in the midst of the abyss; and thou didst command the waters to be gathered together, and the dry land to appear. But, as for the sea itself, who can possibly describe it? which cometh with fury from the ocean, yet runneth back again from the sand of the shore, being stopped at thy command; for thou hast said, Thereby shall her waves be broken. Thou hast also made it capable of supporting little and great creatures, and made it navigable for ships.
Then did the earth become green, and was planted with all sorts of flowers, and the variety of different trees; and the shining luminaries, the nourishers of those plants, preserve their unchangeable course, and in nothing depart from thy command. But where thou biddest them, there they rise and set, for signs of the seasons, and of the years, making a constant return of the work of men.
Afterwards the kinds of the several animals were created: those belonging to the land, to the water, to the air, and both to air and water; and the skilful wisdom of thy providence bestoweth upon each a suitable provident care. For as it was not unable to produce various kinds, so neither hath it disdained to provide variously for each.
And at the conclusion of the creation, thou gavest direction to thy Wisdom, and formedst a rational living creature, as the citizen of the world, saying, Let us make man after our image, and after our likeness; and hast exhibited him as the ornament of the world, and formed him a body out of the four elements, those primary bodies, but hast prepared a soul out of nothing, and hast bestowed upon him his five senses, and set over his sensations a mind, as the conductor of the soul.
And besides all these things, Lord God, who can worthily declare the motion of the rainy clouds, the shining of the lightning, the noise of the thunder, in order to the supply of proper food, and the most agreeable temperature of the air?
But, when man was disobedient, thou didst deprive him of the life proposed for his reward; yet thou didst not utterly destroy him, but laidest him to sleep for a time; and thou hast by oath called him to a resurrection, and hast loosed the bond of death, thou Reviver of the dead, through Jesus Christ, who is our hope.
XXXV – Prayer with thanksgiving, declarative of God’s care over the beings he hath made
Great art thou, Lord Almighty, and great is thy power; and to thine understanding there is no limit; our Creator and Saviour, rich in benefits, long-suffering, and the Bestower of mercy, who dost not take away thy salvation from thy creatures; for thou art good by nature, and sparest sinners, and invitest them to repentance; for admonition is the effect of thy bowels of compassion. For how should we abide if we were required to come to judgment immediately, when, after so much long-suffering, we hardly emerge from our miserable condition!
The heavens declare thy dominion, and the earth shaketh with earthquakes, and, hanging upon nothing, declare thine unshaken steadfastness. The sea, raging with waves, and feeding a flock of ten thousand creatures, is bounded with sand, as standing in awe at thy will; and it compelleth all men to cry out, How great are thy works, Lord! In wisdom hast Thou made them all. The earth is full of what thou hast created.
And the bright host of angels, and the intellectual spirits, say to Him, One is holy! And the holy seraphim, together with the six-winged cherubim, who sing to thee their triumphal song, cry never-ceasing voices, Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts. Heaven and earth are full of thy glory. And the other multitudes of the orders, angels, archangels, thrones, dominions, principalities, authorities, and powers, cry aloud, and say, Blessed be the glory of the Lord out of his place. But Israel, thy church on earth, taken out of the Gentiles, emulating the heavenly Powers, night and day, with a full heart and a willing soul, singeth, the chariot of God is ten thousand fold, thousands of them that rejoice. The Lord is among them in Sinai, in the holy place.
The heaven knoweth Him who fixed it as a cube of stone, in the form of an arch, upon nothing; who united the land and the water to one another, and scattered the vital air all abroad, and conjoined fire therewith for warmth, and for the mitigation of darkness. The choir of stars striketh us with admiration, declaring Him that numbereth them, and showing Him that nameth them; the animals declare Him that putteth life into them; the trees, Him that maketh them grow; all which creatures, being made by thy word, show forth the greatness of thy power. Wherefore, every man, since by thine appointment he hath power over them all, ought, from his very soul, to send up a hymn to thee, through Christ, in the name of them all.
For thou art kind in thy benefits, and beneficent in thy bowels of compassion; who alone art almighty; for when thou willest, to be able is present with thee. For thine eternal power quencheth flame, and stoppeth the mouths of lions, and tameth whales, and raiseth up the sick, and over-ruleth the power of all things, and overturneth the host of enemies, and casteth down a people numbered in their arrogance. Thou art He who art in heaven, He who art on earth, He who art in the sea, He who art in finite things, thy self unconfined by anything. For of thy majesty there is no boundary; for it is not ours, Lord, but the oracle of thy servant, who said, And thou shalt know in thy heart that the Lord thy God is God in heaven above, and upon the earth beneath; and there is none other besides him. For there is no God besides thee alone; there is none holy besides thee, the Lord, the God of knowledge, the God of the saints, holy above all holy beings; for they are sanctified by thy hands.
Thou art glorious, and highly exalted, invisible by nature, and unsearchable in thy judgments; whose life is without want; whose duration can never fail; whose operation is without toil; whose greatness is unlimited; whose excellency is perpetual; whose habitation is inaccessible; whose dwelling is unchangeable; whose knowledge is without beginning; whose truth is immutable; whose work is without assistant; whose dominion cannot be taken away; whose monarchy is without succession; whose kingdom is without end; whose strength is irresistible; whose army is most numerous. For thou art the Father of wisdom, the Creator, as the primary Author, of the creation, by a Mediator; the Bestower of providence; the Giver of laws; the Supplier of want; the Punisher of the wicked, and the Rewarder of the righteous; the God and Father of Christ, and the Lord of those that are pious towards him, [thine anointed One;] whose promise is infallible; whose judgment is without bribes; whose sentiments are immutable; whose piety is incessant; whose thanksgiving is perpetual; and through whom worthy adoration is due to thee from every rational and holy nature.
XXXVI – A Prayer commemorative of the Incarnation of Christ; and his various providence to the saints
Lord Almighty, thou hast created the world by Christ, and hast appointed the Sabbath in memory thereof; since thou hast made us rest on that day from our works, for meditation upon thy laws. Thou hast also appointed festivals for the rejoicing of our souls, that we might come into the remembrance of the Wisdom that was created by thee; how he, for our sake, submitted to be born of a woman. He appeared in life, manifesting himself in his baptism, that he who thus came forth is God and man. He suffered and died for us by thy permission, and rose again by thy power; on which account, we, solemnly assembling to celebrate the festival of the Resurrection on the Lord’s day, rejoice concerning Him who hath conquered death, and hath brought life and immortality to light. For by him thou hast brought home the Gentiles to thyself, for a peculiar people, the true Israel, beloved of God, and seeing God. For thou, Lord, broughtest our fathers out of the land of Egypt, and didst deliver them out of the iron furnace, from clay and brick-making, and didst redeem them out of the hands of Pharaoh, and of those under him; and didst lead them through the sea, as through dry land; and didst bear their manners in the wilderness, and bestow on them all sorts of good things. Thou didst give them the Law, or Decalogue, which was pronounced by thy voice, and written with thy hand. Thou didst enjoin the observance of the Sabbath, not affording them an occasion of idleness, but an opportunity of piety, for their knowledge of thy power, and the restraint of evils; having enclosed the people, as within a holy circuit, for the sake of instruction, so that they might rejoice on the seventh day. On this account were appointed one week, and seven weeks, and the seventh month, and the seventh year; and the sevenfold revolution of this, the jubilee, which is the fiftieth year, for remission; that men might have no occasion to pretend ignorance.
(For this purpose he permitted men, every Sabbath, to rest, that no one might be disposed to utter a word out of his mouth in anger on the day of the Sabbath. For the Sabbath is the ceasing of the creation, the completion of the world, the inquiry after laws, and the grateful praise to God for the blessings he hath bestowed upon men.)
All which appointed times the Lord’s day excelleth, and showeth the Mediator himself, the Provider, the Lawgiver, the Author of the Resurrection, the First-born of the whole creation, God the Word, and Man; who was born of Mary alone, without a man; who lived a holy life; who was crucified under Pontius Pilate, and died, and rose again from the dead; so that the Lord’s day commandeth us to offer unto thee, Lord, thanksgiving for all. For thus is the grace afforded by thee, which, on account of its greatness, hath obscured all other blessings.
Chapter XXXVII – A Prayer containing a memorial of providence, and an enumeration of the various, benefits afforded to the saints by the providence of God through Christ
Thou who hast fulfilled thy promises made by the prophets, and hast had mercy on Zion, and compassion on Jerusalem, by exalting the throne of David, thy servant, in the midst of her, by the birth of Christ, who was born of his seed, according to the flesh, of a virgin alone; do thou now, Lord God, accept the prayers which proceed from the lips of thy people, who are of the Gentiles, who call upon thee in truth, as thou didst accept of the gifts of the righteous in their generations. In the first place, thou didst respect the sacrifice of Abel, and accept it, as thou didst accept the sacrifice of Noah, when he went out of the ark; of Abraham, when he went out of the land of the Chaldeans; of Isaac, at the well of the oath; of Jacob, in Bethel; of Moses, in the desert; of Aaron, between the dead and the living; of Joshua, the son of Nun in Gilgal; of Gideon, at the rock, and the fleeces, before his sin; of Manoah and his wife, in the field; of Samson, in his thirst, before his transgression; of Jephthah, in the war, before his rash vow; of Barak and Deborah, in the days of Sisera; of Samuel, in Mizpeh; of David, in the threshing-floor of Oman the Jebusite; of Solomon, in Gibeon, and in Jerusalem; of Elijah, in Mount Carmel; of Elisha, at the barren fountain; of Jehosaphat, in war; of Hezekiah, in his sickness, and concerning Sennacherib; of Manasseh, in the land of the Chaldeans, after his transgression; of Josiah, in his Passover; of Ezra, at the return; of Daniel, in the den of lions; of Jonah, in the whale’s belly; of the three children in the fiery furnace; of Hannah, in the tabernacle before the ark; of Nehemiah, at the rebuilding of the walls; of Zerubbabel; of Mattathias and his sons, in their zeal; of Jael, in blessings. And now, therefore, accept the prayers of thy people, which are offered to thee with knowledge, through Christ, in the Spirit.
Chapter XXXVIII – A Prayer for the assistance of the righteous
We give thee thanks for all things, Lord Almighty, that thou hast not taken away from us thy mercies and thy compassions; but in every succeeding generation thou dost save, and deliver, and assist, and protect. For thou didst assist in the days of Enos and Enoch; in the days of Moses and Joshua; in the days of the judges; in the days of Samuel, and of Elijah, and of the prophets; in the days of David, and of the kings; in the days of Esther and Mordecai; in the days of Judith; in the days of Judas Maccabeus and his brethren. And in our days thou hast assisted us by thy great High Priest, Jesus Christ, thy Son. For he hath delivered us from the sword, and hath freed us from famine, and sustained us; hath delivered us from sickness, and hath preserved us from an evil tongue. For all which things we give thee thanks, through Christ, who hath given us an articulate voice for confession, and added to it a suitable tongue, as an instrument to modulate withal, and a proper taste, and a well-adapted feeling, and sight for seeing, and the hearing of sounds, and the smelling of exhalations, and hands for work, and feet for walking. And all these members thou formest from a little drop in the womb; and, after the formation, thou bestowest on it an immortal soul, and bringest it forth into the light. The rational creature, man, thou hast instructed by thy laws, thou hast purified by thy statutes; and though thou bringest on a dissolution for a little while, thou hast promised a resurrection.
Wherefore, what life is sufficient, what length of ages will be long enough, for men to render thanks? To do it worthily is impossible; but to do it according to our ability, is just and right. For thou hast delivered us from the impiety of polytheism, and from the heresy of the murderers of Christ. Thou hast delivered us from error and ignorance. Thou hast sent Christ among men, as a man, being the only-begotten God. Thou hast sent the Comforter to dwell in us. Thou hast set angels over us. Thou hast put the devil to shame. Thou hast brought us into being when we were not; thou takest care of us when made; thou measurest out life to us; thou suppliest us with food; thou hast promised repentance.
Glory and worship be to thee, for all these things, through Jesus Christ, now and ever, and throughout all ages. Amen.
Meditate on these things, brethren; and the Lord be with you upon earth, and in the kingdom of his Father, who both sent him, and hath delivered us, by him, from the bondage of corruption into his glorious liberty; and hath promised life to those who, through him, have believed in the God of the universe.
Now, after what manner those ought to live that are initiated into Christ, and what thanksgivings they ought to send up to God through Christ, have been mentioned in the foregoing directions. But it is reasonable not to leave, without assistance, even those who are not yet initiated.
Chapter XXXIX – How the Catechumens are to be instructed in the elements
He, therefore, who is to be catechized in the word of piety, let him be instructed before his baptism in the knowledge of the unbegotten God, in the understanding of his only-begotten Son, in the assured acknowledgment of the Holy Spirit. Let him learn the order of the several parts of the creation, the series of providence, the different dispensations of the laws. Let him be instructed why the world was made, and why man was appointed to be a citizen therein. Let him also know his own nature; of what sort it is. Let him be taught how God punished the wicked with water; and how he glorified the saints in each generation; I mean Seth, and Enos, and Enoch, and Noah, and Abraham and his posterity, and Melchisedek, and Job, and Moses, and Joshua, and Caleb, and Phineas the priest, and those that were holy in each generation; and how God still took care of and did not reject mankind, but, at various times, called them from their error and vanity to the acknowledgment of the truth; bringing them back from bondage and impiety to liberty and piety, from injustice to righteousness, from death eternal to everlasting life.
Let him who is coming to baptism learn these and the like things, in his catechetical instruction; and let him who layeth his hands upon him, adore God, the Lord of the universe, and thank him in behalf of his creature, for sending Christ, his only-begotten Son, that he might save man, blotting out his transgressions; and that he might remit ungodliness and sins, and might purify him from all filthiness of flesh and spirit, and sanctify man according to the good pleasure of his kindness, that he might inspire him with the knowledge of his will, and enlighten the eyes of his heart to consider of his wonderful works, and make known to him the judgments of righteousness; that so he might hate every way of iniquity, and walk in the way of truth; that he might be thought worthy of the laver of regeneration, to the adoption of sons, which is in Christ; that, being planted together in the likeness of the death of Christ, in hope of a glorious participation, he may be dead to sin, and may live to God, as to his mind, and word, and deed, and may be numbered together in the book of the living.
And, after this thanksgiving, let him instruct him in the doctrines concerning our Lord’s incarnation, and in those concerning his passion, and his resurrection from the dead, and his assumption.
Chapter XL – A constitution how the Catechumens are to be blessed by the Priests, in their initiation; and what things are to be taught them
And when the catechumen is just at the point of being baptized, let him learn what concerneth the renunciation of the devil, and the joining himself with Christ. For it is fit that he should first abstain from things contrary, and then be admitted to the mysteries. He must, beforehand, purify his heart from all wickedness of disposition, from all spot and wrinkle, and then partake of the holy things. For as the most skilful husbandman first cleareth his ground of the thorns which are grown up therein, and then soweth his wheat, so ought ye also to take away all impiety from them [the catechumens]; and then to sow the seeds of piety in them, and bestow baptism. For thus our Lord exhorted us, saying, first, Make disciples of all nations; and then he added this, and baptize them into the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.
Let, therefore, the candidate for baptism declare, in his renunciation,
Chapter XLI – The renunciation of the adversary, and the dedication to the Christ of God
I renounce Satan, and his works, and his pomps, and his worship, and his angels, and his inventions, and all things that are under him.
And, after this renunciation, let him, in his dedication, say, And I associate myself with Christ, and believe in and am baptized into one unbegotten Being, the only true God Almighty, the Father of Christ, the Creator and Maker of all things, from whom are all things; and into the Lord Jesus Christ, his only-begotten Son, the First-born of the whole creation, who, before the ages, was, by the good pleasure of the Father, begotten, not created; through whom all things were made, both those in heaven and those on earth, visible and invisible; who, in the last days, descended from heaven, and took flesh, and was born of the holy virgin Mary, and lived a holy life, according to the laws of his God and Father, and was crucified under Pontius Pilate, and died for us; and rose again from the dead, after his Passion, the third day, and ascended into the heavens, and sitteth at the right hand of the Father; and again is to come at the end of the world, with glory, to judge the living and the dead; of whose kingdom there shall be no end. I am baptized also into the Holy Ghost, that is, the Comforter, who wrought in all the saints from the beginning of the world, but was afterwards sent to the apostles by the Father, according to the promise of our Saviour and Lord Jesus Christ, and, after the apostles, to all who believe, in the holy Catholic church; into the resurrection of the flesh, and into the remission of sins, and into the kingdom of heaven, and into the life of the world to come.
And, after this declaration, he cometh in order to the anointing with oil.
Chapter XLII – A Thanksgiving in respect to the anointing with the mystical oil
Now this is blessed by the high priest for the remission of sins and the preparative for baptism. For he invoketh the unbegotten God, the Father of Christ, the King of all sensible and intelligent natures, that he would sanctify the oil in the name of the Lord Jesus, and bestow spiritual grace, and efficacious strength, the remission of sins, and the preparation for the confession of baptism; that so the candidate for baptism, when he is anointed, may be freed from all ungodliness, and may become worthy of initiation, according to the command of the Only-begotten.
Chapter XLII – A Thanksgiving concerning the mystical water
After this, he cometh to the water. The priest blesseth and glorifieth the Lord God Almighty, the Father of the only-begotten God; returning thanks, that he sent his Son to become man on our account, that he might save us; that he permitted him to become obedient, in all things, to the laws of that incarnation, to preach the kingdom of heaven, the remission of sins, and the resurrection of the dead.
Moreover, he adoreth the only-begotten God himself (after the Father, and for him), giving him thanks that he undertook to suffer death by the cross for all men; an emblem of which death he hath appointed to be the baptism of regeneration.
He giveth glory also, that, in the name, of Christ, God, the Lord of the universe, in the Holy Spirit, hath not cast off mankind, but hath suited his providence to the difference of times; first giving to Adam himself, with a regard to his enjoyment, Paradise, as a habitation; then, with a regard to provident care, delivering to him a command, but justly expelling him when he had transgressed; yet not utterly casting him off, but instructing his posterity, in succeeding ages, in various ways; and, on his account, towards the conclusion of the world, he hath sent his Son to become man for man’s sake, and to be subject to all human affections without sin. Him, therefore, let the priest even now implore at the baptism, and let him say, Look down from heaven, and sanctify this water; and bestow grace and power, so that he who is to be baptized, according to the command of thy Christ, may be crucified with him, and may die with him, and may be buried with him, and may rise with him to the adoption which is in him, by being made dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto righteousness.
And after this, when he hath baptized him in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, he shall anoint him with ointment, and shall add as followeth:
Chapter XLIV – A Thanksgiving concerning the, mystical ointment
Lord God, who art without generation, and without a superior. the Lord of the universe, who hast scattered the fragrance of the knowledge of the Gospel among all nations, do thou grant, at this time, that this ointment may be efficacious upon him that is baptized, so that the sweet odor of thy Christ may continue upon him firm and fixed, and that, having died with him, he may rise with him, and live with him.
Let him say these and the like things; for this is the efficacy of the laying of hands on each. For, unless there be such an invocation made by a pious priest over every one of these, the candidate for baptism only descendeth into the water, as do the Jews; and he putteth off only the filth of the body, not the filth of the soul.
After this, let him stand up, and pray that prayer which the Lord taught us; for, of necessity, he who is risen again ought to stand up and pray; because he that is raised up standeth upright. Let him, therefore, who hath been dead with Christ, and is raised up with him, stand up. But let him pray towards the east. For this also is written in the second book of the Chronicles, that, after the temple of the Lord was finished by king Solomon, in the very Feast of Dedication, the priests, and the Levites, and the singers, stood up towards the east, praising and thanking God, with cymbals and psalteries, and saying, Praise the Lord, for he is good; for his mercy endureth forever.
Chapter XLV – A Prayer of the newly initiated
Moreover, let him pray thus after the foregoing prayer, and say, God Almighty, the Father of thy Christ, thine only-begotten Son, give me a body undefiled, a heart pure, a mind watchful, an unerring knowledge, the influence of the Holy Spirit for the obtaining and the full assurance of the truth, through thy Christ; by whom glory be to thee, in the Holy Spirit, forever. Amen.
These constitutions we have thought it right to make concerning the catechumens.
Chapter XLVI – Who they were whom the holy apostles sent and ordained
Now concerning those Bishops who have been ordained in our lifetime, we make known to you that they are these: Of Jerusalem, James, the brother of our Lord; upon whose death the second was Symeon, the son of Cleopas; after whom, Judas, the son of James. Of Caesarea in Palestine, the first was Zaccheus, who was once a publican; after whom was Cornelius; and the third, Theophilus. Of Antioch, Euodius, by me, Peter; and Ignatius, by Paul. Of Alexandria, Annianus was the first, by Mark the Evangelist; the second, Avilius, by Luke, who also was an evangelist.
Of the church of Rome, Linus, the son of Claudia, was the first, by Paul; and Clement, after Linus’s death, the second, by me, Peter. Of Ephesus, Timothy, by Paul; and John, by me, John. Of Smyrna, Aristo was the first; after whom, Strataeas, the son of Lois; and the third, Aristo. Of Pergamos, Gaius. Of Philadelphia, Demetrius, by me [John]. Of Cenchrea, Lucius, by Paul. Of Crete, Titus. Of Athens, Dionysius. Of Tripoli in Phoenicia, Marathones. Of Laodicea in Phrygia, Archippus of Colosse, Philemon. Of Beroea in Macedonia, Onesimus, once the servant of Philemon. Of the churches of Galatia, Crescens. Of the parishes of Asia, Aquila and Nicetas. Of the church of Egina, Crispus.
These are the Bishops who have been intrusted by us with the parishes in the Lord; whose doctrine keep ye always in mind, and observe our words. And may the Lord be with you now, and to endless ages; as he himself said to us, when he was about to be taken up to his own God and Father. For, Lo (he saith), I am with you all the days, until the end of the world. Amen.
Chapter XLVII – A Morning Prayer
Glory be to God in the highest; and upon earth, peace, good will among men. We praise thee, we sing hymns to thee, we bless thee, we glorify thee, we worship thee, by thy great High Priest; thee, who art the true God, who art the One unbegotten, the only inaccessible Being. For thy great glory, Lord and heavenly King, God, the Father Almighty, Lord God, the Father of Christ, the immaculate Lamb, who taketh away the sin of the world, receive our prayer, thou that sittest upon the cherubim; since thou only art holy. Thou only, Jesus, art our Lord, the Christ of the God of all that hath been brought forth, of the God our King. Through this our Lord, glory be to thee, and honor, and worship.
Chapter XLVIII – An Evening Prayer
Ye children, praise the Lord; praise the name of the Lord. We praise thee, we sing hymns to thee, we bless thee for thy great glory, Lord, our King, the Father of Christ, the immaculate Lamb, that taketh away the sin of the world. Praise becometh thee, hymns become thee, glory becometh thee, the God and Father, through the Son, in the most Holy Spirit, forever and ever. Amen.
Now, Lord, lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word; for mine eyes have seen thy salvation, which thou hast prepared before the face of all people; a light to enlighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel.
Chapter XLIX – A Prayer at Dinner
Blessed art thou, Lord, who dost nourish me from my youth; who givest food to all flesh. Fill our hearts with joy and gladness, that, having always what is sufficient for us, we may abound to every good work, in Christ Jesus, our Lord; through whom glory, honor, and power, be to thee forever. Amen.
End of Book VII
BOOK VIII – Concerning Gifts, And Ordinations, And Ecclesiastical Canons.
Chapter I – On whose account the miraculous powers are put forth
JESUS CHRIST, our God and Saviour, having delivered to us the great mystery of godliness, and called both Jews and Gentiles to the acknowledgment of the one and only true God his Father, as he himself somewhere saith, when he was giving thanks for the salvation of those that had believed, I have manifested thy name to men; I have finished the work which thou gavest me; and having said concerning us to his Father, Holy Father, although the world hath not known thee, yet I have known thee; and these have known thee; he with good reason said to all of us together, when we were perfected, concerning those gifts which were given from him by the Spirit, Now these signs shall follow them that have believed in my name: They shall cast out demons; they shall speak with new tongues; they shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them. They shall lay their hands on the sick, and they shall recover.
These gifts were first bestowed on us the apostles, when we were about to preach the Gospel to every creature; but afterwards they were of necessity afforded to those who through us had believed, not for the advantage of those who perform them, but for the conviction of the unbelievers; that those whom the word did not persuade, the power of signs might put to shame. For signs are not for us who believe, but for the unbelievers, both of the Jews and of the Gentiles. For neither is it any profit to us to cast out demons, but to those who are so cleansed by the power of the Lord; as the Lord himself somewhere instructeth us, and showeth, saying, Rejoice not that the spirits are subject unto you; but rejoice that your names are written in heaven: since the former is done by his power, but this by our good will and diligence; we, it is evident, being assisted by him.
It is not therefore necessary, that every one of the faithful should cast out demons, or raise the dead, or speak with tongues; but that he should, on whom this gift has been bestowed for some useful object, in respect to the salvation of the unbelievers, who are often put to shame, not by the convincing proof of words, but by the power of signs; that is, such as are worthy of salvation. For all the ungodly are not converted by miracles; and this God himself testifieth, as when he saith in the Law, With other tongues will I speak to this people, and with other lips, and yet they will not believe. For neither did the Egyptians believe in God, when Moses had done so many signs and wonders; nor did the multitude of the Jews believe in Christ (who was like Moses), when he healed every sickness and every disease among them; nor were the former shamed by the rod which was turned into a living serpent, nor by the hand which was made white with leprosy, nor by the river Nile turned into blood; nor the latter by the blind who recovered their sight, nor by the lame who walked, nor by the dead who were raised. Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses; Annas and Caiaphas, Christ. Thus signs do not shame all into belief, but only those of a good disposition; for whose sake also it is that God is pleased, as a wise superintendent, to appoint miracles to be wrought, not by the power of men, but by his own will.
Him they denied, saying to Aaron, Make us gods who shall go before us. And they made a molten calf, and sacrificed to an idol. Then God was angry, as being ungratefully treated by them; and he bound them with bonds which could not be loosed, with a mortifying burden and a hard collar, and no longer said, If thou makest, but Make an altar, and sacrifice perpetually; for thou art forgetful and ungrateful. Offer burnt-offerings, therefore, continually, that thou mayest be mindful of me. For since thou hast wickedly abused thy power, I lay a necessity upon thee for the time to come; and I command thee to abstain from certain meats; and I ordain thee the distinction of clean and unclean creatures, although every creature is good, as being made by me. And I appoint thee several separations, purgations, frequent washings and sprinklings, and several times of rest; and if thou neglect any of them, I determine that punishment which is proper to the disobedient; that, being pressed and galled by thy collar, thou mayest depart from the error of polytheism, and, laying aside the declaration, These are thy gods, Israel, mayest be mindful of this, Hear, Israel, the Lord our God is one Lord; and mayest hasten back again to that law which is imparted by me to all men naturally, That there is only one God in heaven and on earth; and that it is thy duty to love him with all thy heart, and all thy might, and all thy mind; and to fear none but him, nor to admit the names of other gods into thy mind, nor to let thy tongue utter them out of thy mouth.
On account of the hardness of their hearts, he bound them, that by sacrificing, and by resting, and by purifications, and the like, they might come to the knowledge of God, who ordained these things for them.
Chapter XXI – That we, who believe in Christ, are under grace, and not under the
servitude of that additional Law
Blessed are your eyes, for they see; and your ears, for they hear; ye who have believed in the one God, not by necessity, but by a sound understanding, in obedience to Him that called you. For ye are released from the bonds, and freed from the servitude. For, saith he, I call you no longer servants, but friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father, have I made known unto you. For to them that would not see nor hear, not for the want of those senses, but for the excess of their wickedness, have statutes that were not good, and judgments whereby they should not live; “not good,” however, in their view: as instruments for burning, and the knife, and medicines, are esteemed enemies by the sick; and “impossible to be observed,” on account of their obstinacy. Whence also those statutes brought death upon them, being not obeyed.
Chapter XXII – That the Law for sacrifices is additional, which Christ, when he came, took away
Ye, therefore, are blessed, who are delivered from the curse; for Christ, the Son of God, by his coming, hath strengthened and completed the Law. He hath taken away the additional precepts, although not all of them, yet, at least, the more grievous ones; having confirmed the Law, and having caused these to cease; and he hath again set free the self-government of men, not subjecting it to the punishment of a temporal death, but requiring an account in another state. Wherefore he saith, If any man will come after me, let him. And again, Will ye also go away?
And, besides, before his coming, he refused the sacrifices of the people, while they frequently offered them, when they sinned against him, and thought that he was to be appeased by sacrifices, and not by repentance. For he saith thus, Why dost thou bring to me frankincense from Saba, and cinnamon from a remote land? Your burnt-offerings are not acceptable, and your sacrifices are not sweet to me. And afterwards, Gather your burnt-offerings together, with your sacrifices, and eat flesh; because I did not command you, when I brought you out of the land of Egypt, concerning burnt-offerings and sacrifices. And he saith by Isaiah, To what purpose do ye bring me a multitude of sacrifices? I am full of the burnt-offerings of rams, and I will not accept the fat of lambs, and the blood of bulls and of goats. Nor come ye to appear before me; for who hath required these things at your hands? Tread my courts no more. If ye bring me fine flour, it is vain. Incense is an abomination unto me. Your new moons, and your Sabbaths, and your great day, I cannot endure. Your fasts, and your rests, and your feasts, my soul hateth. I am overfull of them. And he saith by another, Depart from me. The sound of thy hymns, and the psalms of thy musical instruments, I will not hear. And Samuel said to Saul, when he thought to sacrifice, Obedience is better than sacrifice; and hearkening, than the fat of rams. For, behold, the Lord doth not so much delight in sacrifice, as in obeying him. And he saith by David, I will take no calves out of thy house, nor he-goats out of thy flock. If I should be hungry, I would not tell thee; for the whole world is mine, and the fulness thereof. Shall I eat the flesh of bulls, or drink the blood of goats? Sacrifice to God the sacrifice of praise, and pay thy vows to the Most High.
And in all the Scriptures, in like manner, he refuseth their sacrifices on account of their sinning against him. For the sacrifices of the wicked are an abomination with the Lord, since they offer them in an unlawful manner. And again, Their sacrifices are to them as bread of lamentation. All that eat of them shall be defiled. If, therefore, before his coming, he sought for a clean heart and a contrite spirit, more than sacrifices, much rather did he abrogate those sacrifices, we mean those by blood, when he came.
Yet he so abrogated them, as that he first fulfilled them. For he was both circumcised and sprinkled; and he offered sacrifices and whole burnt-offerings, and made use of the rest of the customs. And he that was the lawgiver became himself the fulfilling of the Law, not taking away the natural law, but abrogating those additional precepts that were afterwards introduced, although not all of them.
Chapter XXIII - How Christ became a Fulfiller of the Law; and what parts of it he caused to cease, or changed, or transferred
For he did not take away the law of nature, but confirmed it. For he that said in the Law, The Lord thy God is one Lord, the same said in the Gospel, That they might know thee the only true God. And he that said, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself, saith in the Gospel, renewing the same precept, A new commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another. He who then forbade murder, now forbiddeth causeless anger. He that forbade adultery, now forbiddeth all unlawful lust. He that forbade stealing, now pronounceth him most happy who, out of his own labors, supplieth the needy. He that forbade hatred, now requireth love, even towards enemies. He that limited retaliation, now requireth long-suffering, not as if just retaliation were an unjust thing, but because long-suffering is better. Nor did he make laws to destroy our natural passions, but only to forbid the excess of them. He who had commanded to honor parents, was himself subject to them. He who commanded to keep the Sabbath, by resting thereon, for the sake of meditating on the laws, hath now commanded us to consider the law of creation and of providence every day, and give thanks to God. He abrogated circumcision, when he had himself fulfilled it. For he it was to whom the inheritance was reserved, who was the expectation of the nations.
He who made a law for swearing rightly, and forbade perjury, hath now charged us not to swear at all. He hath in several ways changed baptism, sacrifice, the priesthood, and the divine service, which was confined to one place. For, instead of daily baptisms, he hath given only one, which is that into his death. Instead of one tribe, he hath appointed that, out of every nation, the best be ordained for the priesthood; and that not their bodies be examined for blemishes, but their religion and their lives. Instead of a bloody sacrifice, he hath appointed that reasonable, and unbloody, and mystical one of his body and blood, which is performed to represent by symbols the death of the Lord. Instead of the divine service confined to one place, he hath commanded and deemed it fitting that he should be glorified from the rising of the sun even unto the going down of the same, in every place of his dominion.
He did not, therefore, take away the Law from us, but the bonds. For concerning the Law, Moses saith, Thou shalt meditate on the word which I command thee, when thou sittest in thy house, and when thou risest up, and when thou walkest in the way. And David saith, His delight is in the law of the Lord, and in his law will he meditate day and night. Foreverywhere would he have us subject to his laws, but not transgressors of them. For saith he, Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the Lord. Blessed are they that search out his testimonies; with their whole heart shall they seek him. And again, Blessed are we, Israel, because those things that are pleasing to God are known to us. And the Lord saith, If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.
Chapter XXIV – That it pleased the Lord that the law of righteousness should be manifested also by Romans
Nor doth he desire that the law of righteousness should be exhibited through us only; but he is pleased that through Romans also it should appear and shine. For these also, when they have believed on the Lord, have withdrawn both from polytheism and from injustice; and they approve the good, and punish the bad. But they hold the Jews under tribute, and do not suffer them to make use of their own ordinances .
Chapter XXV – How God, on account of their impiety towards Christ, made the Jews captives , and placed them under tribute
Because, indeed, they drew servitude upon themselves voluntarily, wnen they said, We have no king but Ccesar. And, If we do not slay Christ, all men will believe on him; and the Romans will come, and will take away both our place and nation. And so they prophesied unwittingly; for, indeed, the Gentiles have believed on him; and they themselves have been deprived by the Romans of their power and of their legal worship. They are also forbidden to slay whom they please, and to sacrifice when they will. Wherefore they are accursed, not being able to perform the things commanded. For saith the Scripture, Cursed is he that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them. Now, it is impossible for them, in their dispersion, while they are among the heathen, to perform all things in their law. For the divine Moses forbiddeth both to rear an altar out of Jerusalem, and to read the law out of the bounds of Judea.
Let us therefore follow Christ, that we may inherit his blessings. Let us walk after the Law and the Prophets, by the Gospel. Let us eschew the worshippers of many gods, and the murderers of Christ, and the murderers of the prophets, and the wicked and atheistical heretics. Let us be obedient to Christ, as to our king, as having authority to change various constitutions, and having, as a legislator, wisdom to make new constitutions in different circumstances; yet so that everywhere the laws of nature be immutably preserved.
Chapter XXVI – That we ought to avoid the heretics, as the corrupters of souls
Therefore, Bishops, and ye of the laity, avoid all heretics, who abuse the Law and the Prophets. For they are enemies to Almighty God, and disobey him, and do not confess Christ to be the Son of God. For they also deny his generation according to the flesh; they are ashamed of his cross; they abuse his passion and death; they know not his resurrection; they take away his generation before all ages. Besides, some of them are impious after another manner, imagining the Lord to be a mere man; supposing him to consist of a soul and a body. But others of them suppose that Jesus himself is the God over all, and glorify him as being his own Father, and suppose him to be both the Son and the Comforter; than which doctrines what can be more impious? Others, again, of them refuse certain meats, and say that marriage, with the procreation of children, is evil, and the contrivance of the devil; and, being ungodly themselves, they are not willing to rise again, on account of their wickedness. Wherefore also they ridicule the resurrection, and say, “We are holy people,” unwilling to eat and to drink; and they fancy that from the dead they shall arise, spirits without flesh, who shall be condemned forever in eternal fire. Fly, therefore, from them, lest ye perish with them in their impieties.
Chapter XXVII – Of some Jewish and Gentile observances
Now if any persons keep to the Jewish observances concerning gonorrhoeas and nocturnal pollutions, and the lawful conjugal acts; let them tell us whether, in those hours or days when they undergo any such thing, they observe not to pray, or to touch a sacred book, or to partake of the Eucharist? And if they own it to be so, it is plain that they are void of the Holy Spirit, which always continueth with the faithful. For concerning holy persons Solomon saith, That every one may prepare himself, that so when he sleepeth, it may keep him; and when he ariseth, it may talk with him.
For if thou thinkest, woman, when thou art seven days in thy separation, that thou art void of the Holy Spirit, then, if thou die suddenly, thou wilt depart void of the Spirit, and without assured hope in God. Or indeed thou hast the Spirit altogether inseparable, as not being in a place. And it is suitable for thee to offer prayer, and receive the Eucharist, and enjoy the coming of the Holy Spirit, as having been guilty of no fault in this matter. For neither lawful mixture, nor child-bearing, nor the menstrual purgation, nor nocturnal pollution, can defile the nature of a man, or separate the Holy Spirit from him. Nothing but wickedness and unlawful practice can do that. For the Holy Spirit always abideth with those who are possessed of it, so long as they are worthy; and those from whom it is departed, it leaveth desolate, and exposed to the wicked spirit.
Now every man is filled either with the Holy or with the Unclean Spirit; and it is not possible to avoid both the one and the other, unless they can receive opposite spirits. For the Comforter hateth every lie, and the devil hateth all truth. But every one that is baptized agreeably to the truth is separated from the Diabolical Spirit, and is under the Holy Spirit; and the Holy Spirit remaineth with him, so long as he is doing good, and filleth him with wisdom and understanding, and suffereth not the wicked spirit to approach him, but watcheth over his goings.
If, therefore, woman, as thou sayest, thou art, in the days of thy separation, void of the Holy Spirit, thou art filled with the unclean one; for, by neglecting to pray and to read, thou wilt invite him to thee, though he were unwilling. For this spirit, if any other, loveth the ungrateful, the slothful, the careless, and the drowsy, since he himself by ingratitude was distempered with an evil mind, and was deprived by God of his dignity; having chosen to be a devil, instead of an archangel. Wherefore, woman, eschew such vain words, and be ever mindful of God that created thee, and pray to him. For he is thy Lord, and the Lord of the universe; and meditate on his laws, observing nothing superstitiously, neither the natural purgation, nor lawful mixture, nor childbirth, nor a miscarriage, nor a blemish of the body; since such observances are the vain and unreasonable inventions of foolish men.
Neither the burial of a man, nor a dead man’s bone, nor a sepulchre, nor any particular sort of food, nor nocturnal pollution, can defile the soul of man; but only impiety towards God, and transgression and injustice towards one’s neighbor; I mean rapine, violence, or if there be anything contrary to his righteousness, as adultery or fornication.
Wherefore, beloved, avoid and eschew such observances; for they are heathenish. For we do not abominate a dead man as the heathen do, since we hope that he will live again. Nor do we hate lawful mixture; for it is their practice to be wicked in such things. For the conjunction of man and wife, if it be with righteousness, is agreeable to the mind of God. For he that made them at the beginning made them male and female; and he blessed them, and said, Increase and multiply, and fill the earth. If, therefore, the difference of sexes was made by the will of God for the generation of multitudes, then must the conjunction of male and female be also agreeable to his mind.
Chapter XXVIII – Of the love of boys, adultery, and fornication
But we do not say so of that mixture which is contrary to nature, or of any unlawful practice; for such are enmity to God. For the sin of Sodom is contrary to nature, as is also that with irrational animals; but adultery and fornication are against the Law. Of which vices the first-mentioned are impieties; one of the others is an injustice, and the last is a sin. But none of them is without its punishment according to its own nature.
For the practisers of the first sort of lewdness attempt the dissolution of the world, and endeavor to make the natural course of things change for one that is unnatural. But those of the second sort, the adulterers, are unjust, by corrupting others’ marriages, and dividing into two what God hath made one, rendering the children suspected, and exposing the true husband to the snares of others. And fornication is the destruction of one’s own flesh, as it is done not for the procreation of children, but entirely for the sake of pleasure; which is a mark of incontinency, and not a sign of virtue.
Moreover, all these things are forbidden by the Law; for thus say the oracles: Thou shalt not lie with mankind as with womankind; for such a one is accursed; and ye shall stone them with stones. They have wrought abomination. Everyone that lieth with a beast, slay ye him. He hath wrought wickedness in his people. And if anyone defile a married woman, slay ye them both. They have wrought wickedness; they are guilty; let them die. And afterwards, There shall not be a fornicator among the sons of Israel, and there shall not be a fornicatress among the daughters of Israel. Thou shalt not offer the hire of a harlot to the Lord thy God upon the altar, nor the price of a dog. For the vows arising from the hire of a harlot are not clean.
These things the laws have forbidden; but they have honored marriage, and have called it blessed; since God hath blessed it, who joined male and female together. And wise Solomon somewhere saith, A wife is suited to her husband by the Lord; and David saith, Thy wife is like a flourishing vine by the sides of thy house; thy children, like olive branches round about thy table. Behold, thus shall the man be blessed that feareth the Lord.
Wherefore marriage is honorable, and comely, and the begetting of children pure; for there is no evil in that which is good. Therefore neither is the natural purgation abominable before God, who hath ordered it to happen to women within the space of thirty days for their advantage and healthful state, who are more confined than men, as keeping usually at home in the house. Nay more, in the Gospel, where the woman with the perpetual purgation of blood touched the saving border of the Lord’s garment, in hope of being healed, he was not angry at her, nor did he complain of her at all. But, on the contrary, he healed her, saying, Thy faith hath saved thee. When the natural purgations appear in the wives, let not their husbands approach them, out of regard to the children to be begotten; for the Law hath forbidden it. For it saith, Thou shalt not come near your wife when she is in her separation, or indeed let them frequent their wives’ company when they are with child. For they do this, not for the begetting of children, but for the sake of pleasure. Now a lover of God ought not to be a lover of pleasure.
Chapter XXIX – How Wives ought to be subject to their own Husbands, and Husbands to love their own Wives
Ye wives, be subject to your own husbands, and have them in esteem, and serve them with fear and love, as holy Sarah honored Abraham. For she could not endure to call him by his name; but called him Lord, when she said My Lord is old. In like manner, ye husbands, love your own wives, as your own members, as partners in life, and fellow-helpers for the procreation of children. For the Scripture saith, Rejoice with the wife of thy youth. Let her conversation be to thee as a loving hind, and a pleasant foal; let her alone guide thee, and be with thee at all times. For if thou be every way encompassed with her friendship, thou wilt be happy in her society. Love them, therefore, as your own members, as your very bodies; for so it is written, Ttie Lord hath testified between thee and between the wife of thy youth. And she is thy partner; and another hath not made her; and she is the remains of thy spirit. And, Take ye heed to your spirit; and forsake not thou the wife of thy youth.
A husband, therefore, and a wife, when they company together in lawful marriage, and rise from one another, may pray without any observances; and, without washing, are clean. But whoever corrupteth and defileth another man’s wife, or is defiled with a harlot; when he ariseth up from her, though he wash himself in the entire ocean and all the rivers, cannot be clean.
Chapter XXX – That it is the custom of Jews and , Gentiles to observe natural purgations, and to abominate the remains of the dead; but that all this is contrary to Christianity
Be not scrupulous, therefore, about things ceremonial and natural, as thinking that ye are defiled by them. Nor seek after Jewish separations, nor perpetual washings, nor purifications upon the touch of a dead body. But, without such observances, assemble in the cemeteries, reading the holy books, and singing for the martyrs who are fallen asleep in the Lord, and for all the saints from the beginning of the world, and for your brethren that are asleep in the Lord; and offer the acceptable Eucharist, the representation of the royal body of Christ, both in your churches and in the cemeteries; and, at the funerals of the departed, accompany them forth with songs if they were faithful in Christ. For, Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints. And again, my soul, return unto thy rest; for the Lord hath done thee good. And elsewhere, The memory of the just is with encomiums. And, The souls of the righteous are in the hands of God. For those that have believed in God, although they are asleep, are not dead. For our Saviour saith to the Sadducees, But concerning the resurrection of the dead, have ye not read that which is written, I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? God, therefore, is not the God of the dead, but of the living; for all live to him. Wherefore of those that live with God, even the very relics are not without honor. For even Elisha the prophet, after he was fallen asleep, raised up a dead man who had been slain by the pirates of Syria. For his body touched the bones of Elisha, and he arose and lived. Now this would not have happened, unless the body of Elisha were holy. And chaste Joseph embraced Jacob after he was deceased, upon his bed. And Moses and Joshua the son of Nun, carried away the relics of Joseph, and did not esteem this a defilement. Whence ye also, Bishops, and the rest, who, without such observances, touch the departed, ought not to think yourselves defiled. Nor abhor the relics of these persons; but avoid such observances, for they are foolish. And adorn yourselves with holiness and chastity, that ye may become partakers of immortality, and partners of the kingdom of God, and may receive the promise of God, and may rest forever, through Jesus Christ our Saviour.
To him, therefore, who is able to open the ears of your hearts to the receiving of the oracles of God administered to you, both by the Gospel, and by the doctrine of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, who was crucified under Pontius Pilate and Herod, and died, and rose again from the dead; and will come again at the end of the world with power and great glory, and will raise the dead, and put an end to this world, and distribute to everyone according to his deserts; to him who hath given us himself for an earnest of the resurrection; who was taken up into the heavens by the power of his God and Father, in our sight, we having eaten and drunk with him for forty days after he arose from the dead; who is sat down on the right hand of the throne of the majesty of Almighty God upon the cherubim; to whom it was said, Sit thou on my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool; whom the most blessed Stephen saw standing at the right hand of power, and cried out and said, Behold I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God, as the High Priest of all the rational orders; through him, worship, and majesty, and glory, be given to Almighty God, both now and forever. Amen.
END OF BOOK VI
BOOK VII – Concerning Deportment, And The Eucharist, And Initiation Into Christ.
Chapter I – That there are two ways; the one natural, of life, and the other introduced afterwards, of death; and that the former is from God, and the latter of error, from the snares of the adversary
THE lawgiver Moses said to the Israelites, Behold, I have set before your face the way of life and the way of death; and added, Choose life, that thou mayest live. Elijah the prophet also said to the people, How long will ye halt with both your legs? If the Lord be God, follow him. The Lord Jesus also said justly, No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. We also, following our Master Christ, who is the Saviour of all men, especially of those that believe, are obliged to say that there are two ways, the one of life, the other of death: which have no comparison one with another; for they are very different, or rather entirely separate. And the way of life is natural, but that of death was afterwards introduced; it not being according to the mind of God, but from the snares of the adversary.
Chapter II – Moral exhortations of the Lord’s constitutions agreeing with the ancient prohibitions of the divine Law; The prohibition of anger, corruption, adultery, and every forbidden action
The first way, therefore, is that of life, and is this, which the Law also appointeth, To love the Lord God with all thy mind, and with all thy soul, who is the one and only God, besides whom there is no other; and thy neighbor as thyself. And whatsoever thou art unwilling to have done to thee, that do not thou to another. Bless them that curse you; Pray for them that despitefully use you. Love your enemies . For what thanks is it if ye love those that love you? For even the Gentiles do the same. But love ye those that hate you, and ye shall have no enemy. For it saith, Thou shalt not hate any man, no, not an Egyptian, nor an Edomite. For they are all the workmanship of God. Avoid not the persons, but the sentiments, of the wicked. Abstain from fleshly and worldly lusts.
If anyone smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. Not that retaliation is evil, but that patience is more honorable. For David saith, If I have made returns to them that repaid me evil. If anyone compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain. And he that will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloak also. And from him that taketh thy goods require them not again.
Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away and shut thy hand. For the righteous man is compassionate, and lendeth. For your Father would have you give to all, who himself maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth his rain on the just and on the unjust. It is therefore reasonable to give to all out of thine own labors. For the Scripture saith, Honor the Lord out of thy righteous labors; but so that the saints be preferred.
Thou shalt not kill; that is, thou shalt not destroy a man like thyself; for thou dissolvest what was well made. Not as if all killing were wicked, but only that of the innocent; but the killing which is just, is reserved to the magistrates alone.
Thou shalt not commit adultery; for thou dividest one flesh into two. They two shall be one flesh. For the husband and wife are one in nature, in consent, in union, in disposition, and the conduct of life. But they are separated in sex and in number.
Thou shalt not corrupt boys; for this wickedness is contrary to nature, and arose from Sodom, which was consumed with fire sent from God. Let such a one be accursed; and all the people shall say, So be it.
Thou shalt not commit fornication. For the Scripture saith, There shall not be a fornicator among the sons of Israel.
Thou shalt not steal. For Achan, when he had stolen in Israel at Jericho, was stoned to death; and Gehazi, who stole, and told a lie, inherited the leprosy of Naaman; and Judas, who stole the money of the poor, betrayed the Lord of glory to the Jews, and repented, and hanged himself, and burst asunder in the midst, and all his bowels gushed out; and Ananias and Sapphira his wife, who stole their own goods, and tempted the Spirit of the Lord, were immediately, at the sentence of Peter our fellow-apostle, struck dead.
Chapter III – Prohibition of conjuring, murder of infants, perjury, and false witness
Thou shalt not use magic. Thou shalt not use witchcraft. For the Scripture saith, Ye shall not suffer those to live who practise sorcery.
Thou shalt not slay thy child by causing abortion, nor kill that which is begotten. Foreverything that is shaped, and hath received a soul from God, if it be slain, shall be avenged, as being unjustly destroyed.
Thou shalt not covet the things that belong to thy neighbor, as his wife, or his servant, or his ox, or his field.
Thou shalt not forswear thyself; for it is said, Swear not at all. But if that cannot be, thou shalt swear piously and truly. Everyone that sweareth by him shall be commended.
Thou shalt not bear false witness. For he that falsely accuseth the needy provoketh to anger him that made him.
Chapter IV – Prohibition of evil speaking, and wrath, of deceitful conduct, idle words, falsehood, covetousness, and hypocrisy
Thou shalt not speak evil. For the Scripture saith, Love not to speak evil, lest thou be taken away. Nor shalt thou be mindful of injuries; for the ways of those that remember injuries are unto death.
Thou shalt not be double-minded nor double-tongued. For a man’s own lips are a strong snare to him; and a talkative person shall not be prospered upon the earth.
Thy words shall not be vain. For ye shall give account of every idle word.
Thou shalt not lie. For the Scripture saith, Thou wilt destroy all those that speak lies.
Thou shalt not be covetous nor rapacious. For it saith, Woe to him that is covetous towards his neighbor, with an evil covetousness.
Thou shalt not be a hypocrite, lest thy portion be with them.
Chapter V – Prohibition of malignity, acceptation of persons, prolonged anger, and detraction
Thou shalt not be ill-natured nor proud. For God resisteth the proud.
Thou shalt not accept persons in judgment; for the judgment is the Lord’s.
Thou shalt not hate any man; thou shalt surely reprove thy brother, and not become guilty on his account. And, Reprove a wise man, and he will love thee. Eschew all evil, and all that is like it. For, saith the Scripture, Abstain from injustice, and trembling shall not come nigh thee.
Be not soon angry, nor spiteful, nor passionate, nor furious, nor daring, lest thou undergo the fate of Cain, and of Saul, and of Joab; for the first of these slew his brother Abel, because Abel was found to be preferred before him with God, and because Abel’s sacrifice was preferred; the second persecuted holy David, who had slain Goliath the Philistine, being envious upon the praises of the women who danced; the third slew two generals of armies, Abner of Israel, and Amasa of Judah.
Chapter VI – Concerning augury and enchantments
Be not a diviner; for that leadeth to idolatry. Besides, Divination, saith Samuel, is a sin. And, There shall be no divination in Jacob, nor soothsaying in Israel. Thou shalt not use enchantments or purifications for thy child. Thou shalt not be a soothsayer, nor a diviner by great or little birds. Nor shalt thou learn wicked arts. For all these things the law hath forbidden.
Long not for what is evil; for thou wilt be led into much sin.
Speak not obscenely, nor use wanton glances, nor be a drunkard. For from such causes arise whoredoms and adulteries.
Be not a lover of money, lest thou serve mammon, instead of God.
Be not vain-glorious, nor elated, nor haughty; for hence spring manifestations of arrogance. Remember him who said, Lord, my heart is not haughty, nor mine eyes lofty; I have not exercised myself in great matters, nor in things too high for me. Surely I was humble.
Chapter VII – Prohibition of murmuring, arrogance, pride, and audacity
Be not a murmurer, remembering the punishment which they underwent who murmured against Moses. Be not self-willed; be not malicious; be not hard-hearted; be not passionate; be not pusillanimous. For all these things lead to blasphemy. But be meek, as were Moses and David; since the meek shall inherit the earth.
Chapter VIII – Of Long-suffering , simplicity, meekness, and patience
Be slow to wrath; for such a one is very prudent; since he that is hasty of spirit is a very fool.
Be merciful; for blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.
Be sincere, quiet, good, trembling at the word of God.
Thou shalt not exalt thyself, as did the Pharisee; foreveryone that exalteth himself shall be abased. And that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination with God.
Thou shalt not entertain temerity in thy soul; for a rash man shall fall into mischief.
Thou shalt not go along with the foolish; but with the wise and righteous. For he that walketh with wise men shall be wise; but he that walketh with the foolish shall be known.
Receive the afflictions that befall thee, with an even mind; and reverses, without overmuch sorrow; knowing that a reward shall be given to thee from God, as was given to Job and to Lazarus.
Chapter IX – That it is our duty to esteem our Christian teachers above our parents; the former being the means of our well-being, the other only of our being.
Thou shalt honor him that speaketh to thee the Word of God, and be mindful of him, day and night; and thou shalt reverence him, not as the cause of thy being, but as the cause of thy well-being. For where the doctrine concerning God is, there God is present. Thou shalt every day seek the face of the saints, that thou mayest acquiesce in their words.
Chapter X – That we ought not to separate ourselves from the saints, but to make peace between those that quarrel, to judge righteously, and not to accept persons
Thou shalt not make schisms among the saints, but be mindful of the followers of Corah.
Thou shalt make peace between those that are at variance, as Moses did, when he persuaded them to be friends.
Thou shalt judge righteously; for the judgment is the Lord’s. Thou shalt not accept persons when thou reprovest for sins; but do as Elijah and Micaiah did to Ahab; and Ebedmelech the Ethiopian to Zedekiah, and Nathan to David, and John to Herod.
Chapter XL – Concerning him that is double-minded, or of little faith
Be not of a doubtful mind in thy prayer, whether it shall be granted or not. For the Lord said to me, Peter, upon the sea, thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt? Be not thou ready to stretch out thy hand to receive, and to shut it when thou shouldst give.
Chapter XII – Of doing good
If thou hast by the work of thy hands, give, that thou mayest labor for the redemption of thy sins. For by alms and acts of faith, sins are purged away. Thou shalt not grudge to give to the poor; nor, when thou hast given, shalt thou murmur. For thou shalt know who will repay thee thy reward; for the Scripture saith, He that hath pity on the poor, lendeth to the Lord; and according to his gift so it shall be repaid him again. Thou shalt not turn away from him that is needy. For it saith, He that stoppeth his ears, that he may not hear the cry of the needy, himself also shall call, and there shall be none to hear him. Thou shalt communicate in all things to thy brother, and shalt not say that they are thine own. For the common participation of the necessaries of life is prepared by God for all men. Thou shalt not take off thy hand from thy son, or from thy daughter, but shalt teach them the fear of God from their youth. For it saith, Correct thy son; so shall he afford thee good hope.
Chapter XIII – How masters ought to behave themselves to their servants; and how
servants ought to be subject
Thy man-servant or thy maid-servant, who trust in the same God, thou shalt not command with bitterness of spirit; lest they groan against thee, and wrath be upon thee from God. And ye servants, be subject to your masters, as to the representatives of God, with attention and fear, as to the Lord, and not to men.
Chapter XIV – Concerning hypocrisy, and obedience to the laws, and confession of sins
Thou shalt hate all hypocrisy; and thou shalt do whatsoever is pleasing to the Lord. By no means forsake the commands of the Lord; but observe the things which thou hast received from him, neither adding to them, nor taking away from them. For thou shalt not add unto his words, lest he convict thee, and thou become a liar.
Thou shalt confess thy sins to the Lord thy God; and thou shalt not add to them anymore, that it may be well with thee from the Lord thy God, who willeth not the death of a sinner, but his repentance.
Chapter XV – Concerning the regard due to parents
Thou shalt be observant to thy father and mother, as the causes of thy being born; that thou mayest live long on the earth, which the Lord thy God giveth thee. Overlook not thy brethren and thy kindred. For thou shalt not overlook those who are nearly related to thee.
Chapter XVI – Concerning the subjection due to the king and to rulers
Thou shalt fear the king, knowing that his appointment is of the Lord. His rulers thou shalt honor, as the ministers of God; for they are the avengers of all unrighteousness; to whom pay taxes, tribute, and every oblation, with a willing mind.
Chapter XVII – Concerning the pure conscience of those that pray
Thou shalt not proceed to thy prayer in the day of thy wickedness, before thou hast laid aside thy bitterness. This is the way of life; in which may ye be found, through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Chapter XVIII – That the way which was afterwards introduced by the snares of the adversary, is full of impiety and wickedness
But the way of death is known by its wicked practices; for in it are ignorance of God, and the introduction of many evils, and disorders, and disturbances; through which come murders, adulteries, fornications, perjuries, unlawful lusts, thefts, idolatries, magic arts, witchcrafts, rapines, false testimonies, hypocrisies, double-heartedness, deceit, pride, malice, insolence, covetousness, obscene talk, jealousy, rashness, haughtiness, arrogance, impudence, persecution of the good, enmity to truth, love of lies, ignorance of righteousness. For they who do such things adhere not to goodness, nor to righteous judgment. They watch not for good, but for evil; from whom meekness and patience are far off; who love vain things, pursuing after reward, having no pity on the poor, not laboring for him that is in misery, nor knowing Him that made them; murderers of infants, destroyers of the workmanship of God; who turn away from the needy, adding affliction to the afflicted; the flatterers of the rich; the despisers of the poor; full of sin.
May you, children, be delivered from all these.
Chapter XIX – That we must not turn from the way of piety, either to the right nor to the left
See that no one seduce thee from piety. For, saith God, Thou mayest not turn aside from it, to the right hand nor to the left; that thou mayest have understanding in all that thou doest. For if thou turn not out of the right way, thou wilt not be wicked.
Chapter XX – That we ought not to despise any of the sorts of food that are set before us, but gratefully and orderly to partake of them
Now, concerning the several sorts of food, the Lord saith to thee, Ye shall eat the good things of the earth. And all sorts of flesh shall ye eat, as the green herb; but thou shalt pour out the blood. For not those things that go into the mouth, but those that come out of it, defile a man: I mean blasphemies, evil-speaking, and if there be any other thing of the like nature. But do thou eat the fat of the land, with righteousness.
For if there be anything pleasant, it is His; and if there be anything good, it is His: wheat for the young men, and wine to cheer the maids. For who shall eat, or who shall drink, without him? And wise Ezra admonisheth thee, saying, Go your way, and eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and be not sorrowful.
Chapter XXI – That we ought to avoid the eating of things offered to idols
But abstain from things offered to idols, that ye may not become partners with demons; for the Gentiles offer those things in honor of demons, that is, to the dishonor of the one God.
Chapter XXII – A constitution of our Lord, how we ought to baptize, and into whose death
Now, concerning baptism, bishop or presbyter, we have already given direction; and we now say that thou shalt so baptize as the Lord commanded us, saying, Go ye, and teach all nations; baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost; teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: of the Father who sent; of Christ who came; of the Comforter who testified.
But thou shalt first anoint the person with the holy oil, and afterwards thou shalt baptize him with water, and in the conclusion thou seal him with ointment; that the anointing with oil may be the participation of the Holy Spirit, and the water the symbol of the death of Christ, and the ointment the seal of the covenants. But if there be neither oil nor ointment, water is sufficient, both for the anointing and for the seal, and for the confession of him that is dying, namely, dying together with [Christ] .
Moreover, before baptism, let him that is to be baptized, fast. For even the Lord, when he was first baptized by John, and abode in the wilderness, afterwards fasted forty days and forty nights. But he was baptized, and then fasted, not having himself any need of cleansing, or of fasting, or of purification, who was, by nature, pure and holy; but that he might both testify the truth to John, and afford to us an example. Wherefore our Lord was not baptized into his own passion, or death, or resurrection; for none of those things had then happened; but for another purpose. On which account he, by his own authority, fasted after his baptism, as being the Lord of John.
But he who is to be initiated into his death, ought first to fast, and then to be baptized. For it is not reasonable that he who has been buried with Christ, and is risen again with him, should appear dejected at his very resurrection. For man is not Lord of our Saviour’s constitution, since one is the Master, and the other the servant.
Chapter XXIII – Which days of the week we ought to fast, and which not, and for what reasons
But let not your fasts be with the hypocrites; for they fast on the second and fifth days of the week. But do ye fast either the five days, or the fourth day and the day of the Preparation, because on the fourth day the condemnation went out against the Lord, Judas then promising to betray him for money; and ye must fast the day of the Preparation, because on that day the Lord suffered the death of the cross, under Pontius Pilate. Yet the Sabbath and the Lord’s day keep as festivals, because the former is the memorial of the creation, and the latter of the resurrection. And in the whole year there is only one Sabbath to be otherwise observed by you, that of our Lord’s burial, on which men ought to keep a fast, but not a festival. For inasmuch as the Creator was then under the earth, the sorrow for him is more forcible than the joy for the creation; because the Creator is more honorable by nature and dignity than his own creatures.
Chapter XXIV – What sort of people they ought to be who offer the prayer that was given by the Lord
Now when ye pray, be not as the hypocrites; but as the Lord hath appointed us in the Gospel, so pray ye: Our Father who art in heaven; hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come; thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom forever. Amen.
Pray thus thrice in a day, preparing yourselves beforehand, that ye may be worthy of the adoption of the Father, lest, when ye call him Father unworthily, ye be reproached by him, as Israel once his first-born son was told, If I be a Father, where is my glory?
And if I be a Lord, where is my fear? For the glory of fathers is the holiness of their children, and the honor of masters is the fear of their servants; as the contrary is dishonor and confusion. For saith he, Through you my name is blasphemed among the Gentiles.
Chapter XXV – A Mystical Thanksgiving
But be ye always thankful, as faithful and honest servants; and, in respect to the Eucharist, say thus:
We thank thee, our Father, for that life which thou hast made known to us by Jesus thy Son, by whom thou madest all things, and takest care of the whole world; whom thou hast sent to become man for our salvation; whom thou hast permitted to suffer and to die; whom thou hast raised up, and been pleased to glorify, and hast seated at thy right hand; by whom also thou hast promised us the resurrection of the dead. Do thou, Lord Almighty, everlasting God, so gather together thy church from the ends of the earth into thy kingdom, as THIS was once scattered, and is now become one loaf. We also, our Father, thank thee for the precious blood of Jesus Christ, which was shed for us, and for his precious body, of which we celebrate these representations, as he himself appointed us, to shoiv forth his death. For through him glory shall be given to thee forever. Amen.
Let no one eat of them that is not initiated; but those only who have been baptized into the death of the Lord.
But if anyone that is not initiated conceal himself, and partake, he eateth eternal condemnation; because, being not of the faith of Christ, he hath partaken of such things as it is not lawful for him to partake of, to his own punishment. But if anyone be a partaker through ignorance, instruct him quickly, and initiate him, that he may not go out a despiser.
XXVI – A Thanksgiving at the divine participation
After the participation, give thanks in this manner: We thank thee, God and Father of Jesus our Saviour, for thy holy name which thou hast caused to dwell among us, and for the knowledge, faith, love, and immortality, which thou hast given us through thy Son Jesus. Thou, Almighty Lord, the God of the universe, hast by him created the world, and the things that are therein; and hast planted a law in our souls, and beforehand hast prepared things for the convenience of men. God of our holy and blameless fathers, Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, thy faithful servants; thou, God, who art powerful, faithful, and true, and without deceit in thy promises; who didst send upon earth Jesus thy Christ to converse with men, as a man, when he was God the Word, and Man, to take away error by the roots; do thou thyself even now through him be mindful of this thy holy church, which thou hast purchased with the precious blood of thy Christ, and deliver it from all evil, and perfect it in thy love and thy truth, and gather us all together into thy kingdom which thou hast prepared. Maranatha: Our Lord is come. Hosanna to the Son of David, Blessed be he that cometh in the name of the Lord (God the Lord, who was manifested to us in the flesh.) If anyone be holy, let him draw near; but if anyone be not such, let him become such by repentance. Permit also your Presbyters to give thanks.
XXVII – A Thanksgiving in respect to the mystical ointment
Concerning the ointment, give thanks in this manner:
We give thee thanks, God, the Creator of the whole world, both for the fragrancy of the ointment, and for the immortality which thou hast made known to us by thy Son Jesus; since thine are the glory and the power, forever. Amen.
Whosoever cometh to you, and giveth thanks in this manner receive him as a disciple of Christ. But if he preach another doctrine, different from that which Christ by us hath delivered to you, ye must not permit him to give thanks; for such a one insulteth God rather than glorifieth him.
Chapter XXVIII – That we ought not to be indifferent about fellowship
But whosoever cometh to you, let him be first examined, and then received; for ye have understanding, and are able to know the right hand from the left, and to distinguish false teachers from the true. But when a teacher cometh to you, supply him cordially with what he needeth. And even when a false teacher cometh, ye shall give him for his necessity, but shall not receive his error. Nor indeed may ye pray together with him, lest ye be polluted with him.
Every true prophet or teacher that cometh to you is worthy of his maintenance, as being a laborer in the word of righteousness.
Chapter XXIX – A constitution concerning oblations
All the first-fruits of the wine-press, the threshing-floor, the oxen, and the sheep, thou shalt give to the Priests, that thy store houses and garners, and the products of thy land, may be blessed; and that thou mayest be strengthened with corn, and wine, and oil; and that the herds of thy cattle, and the flocks of thy sheep, may be increased. Thou shalt give the tenth of thine increase to the orphan, and to the widow, and to the poor, and to the stranger. All the first-fruits of thy hot bread, of thy barrels of wine or oil, or honey, or nuts, or grapes, or the first-fruits of other things, thou shalt give to the Priests; but those of silver, and of garments, and of every kind of possessions, to the orphan and to the widow.
Chapter XXX – How we ought to assemble together, and celebrate the festival day of
our Saviour’s resurrection
On the day of the resurrection of the Lord, that is, the Lord’s day, assemble yourselves together, without fail; giving thanks to God, and praising him for those mercies which God hath bestowed upon you, through Christ, in delivering you from ignorance, error, and bondage; that your sacrifice may be unspotted, and acceptable to God, who hath said concerning his church universal, In every place shall incense and a pure sacrifice be offered unto me; for l am a great king, saith the Lord Almighty, and my name is Wonderful among the heathen.
Chapter XXXI – Priesthood Holders – What qualifications they ought to have, who are to be ordained
Moreover, elect Bishops worthy of the Lord, and Presbyters, and Deacons, pious men, righteous, meek, free from the love of money, lovers of truth, approved, holy, impartial, able to teach the word of piety, and rightly dividing the doctrines of the Lord. And honor ye them as your fathers, as your lords, as your benefactors, as the causes of your well-being. Reprove ye one another, not in anger, but in mildness, with kindness and peace.
Observe all things that are commanded you by the Lord. Be watchful for your life. Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning; and ye yourselves like unto men who wait for their Lord, when he will come; at even, or in the morning, or at cock-crowing, or at midnight. For at what hour they think not the Lord will come. And if they open to him, blessed are those servants, because they were found watching. For he will gird himself, ,and make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth, and serve them.
Watch, therefore, and pray, that ye do not sleep unto death. For your former good deeds will not profit you, if at the last part of your life ye go astray from the true faith.
Chapter XXXII – A Prediction concerning events which are to occur
For in the last days false prophets shall be multiplied, and such as corrupt the word; and the sheep shall be changed into wolves, and love into hatred; for, through the abounding of iniquity, the love of many shall wax cold. For men shall hate, and persecute and betray one another. And then shall appear the deceiver of the world, the enemy of the truth, the prince of lies, whom the Lord Jesus shall destroy with the Spirit of his mouth; who taketh away the wicked with his lips. And many shall be offended at him. But they that endure to the end, the same shall be saved. And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven. Thereupon shall be the voice of a trumpet by the archangel, and immediately the revival of those that were asleep. And then shall the Lord come, and all his saints with a great concussion above the clouds, with the angels of his power, on the throne of his kingdom, to condemn the deceiver of the world, and to render to every one according to his deeds. Then shall the wicked go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous shall go into life eternal, to inherit those things which eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man such things as God hath prepared for them that love him; and they shall rejoice in the kingdom of God, which is in Christ Jesus.
Since now we have been honored with so great blessings from him, let us become his supplicants, and call upon him by continual prayer, saying:
Chapter XXXIII – A Prayer declarative of God’s various providence
Eternal Saviour, the king of gods, who alone art almighty, and the Lord, the God of all beings, and the God of our holy and blameless fathers, and of those before us; the God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob; who art merciful and compassionate, long-suffering, and abundant in mercy; to whom every heart is naked, and by whom every heart is seen, and to whom every secret thought is revealed: to thee do the souls of the righteous cry aloud; upon thee do the hopes of the godly trust, thou Father of the blameless, thou hearer of the supplications of those that call upon thee with uprightness, and who knowest the supplications that are not uttered. For thy providence reacheth to the inmost parts of men, and by thy knowledge thou searchest the thoughts of every one; and in every region of the whole earth the incense of prayer and supplication is sent up to thee.
Thou who hast appointed this present world as a place of combat to righteousness, and hast opened to all the gate of mercy, and hast shown to every man, by implanted knowledge, and natural judgment, and the admonitions of the Law, that the possession of riches is not everlasting, the ornament of beauty is not perpetual, our strength and force are easily dissolved; all indeed is vapor and vanity; and nothing but consciousness of faith unfeigned passeth through the midst of the heavens, and, returning with truth, taketh hold of the right hand of the joy which is to come. And, withal, before the promise of the restoration of all things is accomplished, the soul itself exulteth in hope, and is joyful. For from the beginning, when our forefather Abraham was laboring after the way of truth, thou, by a vision, didst guide him, teaching him what kind of a state this world is; and knowledge went before his faith, and faith ensued upon his knowledge, and the covenant was a consequence of his faith. For thou saidst, I will make thy seed as the stars of heaven, and as the sand which is by the sea-shore. Still further, when thou hadst, given him Isaac, and knewest him to be similar in his character, thou wast called also his God, saying, I will be a God to thee, and to thy seed after thee.
And when our father Jacob was sent into Mesopotamia, thou showedst him Christ, and by him spakest, saying, Behold, I am with thee, and I will increase thee, and multiply thee exceedingly. And thus spakest thou to Moses, thy faith ful and holy servant, at the vision of the bush, I am he that is. This is my name forever, and this is my memorial unto all generations. thou Protector of the posterity of Abraham, blessed art thou forever.
XXXIV – A Prayer declarative of God’s various creation
Blessed art thou, Lord, the King of ages, who, through Christ, hast made the whole world, and through him, in the beginning, didst reduce into order the disordered parts; who didst divide the waters from the waters by a firmament, and didst put into them a spirit of life; who didst fix the earth, and stretch out the heaven, and didst dispose every creature by an accurate constitution. For by thy power, Lord, the world is beautified; the heaven is fixed as an arch over us, and is rendered illustrious with stars, for our comfort in the darkness. The light, also, and the sun, were produced for days, and for the production of fruits; and the moon for the change of seasons, by its increase and diminutions; and night and day received their respective names. The firmament, moreover, was exhibited in the midst of the abyss; and thou didst command the waters to be gathered together, and the dry land to appear. But, as for the sea itself, who can possibly describe it? which cometh with fury from the ocean, yet runneth back again from the sand of the shore, being stopped at thy command; for thou hast said, Thereby shall her waves be broken. Thou hast also made it capable of supporting little and great creatures, and made it navigable for ships.
Then did the earth become green, and was planted with all sorts of flowers, and the variety of different trees; and the shining luminaries, the nourishers of those plants, preserve their unchangeable course, and in nothing depart from thy command. But where thou biddest them, there they rise and set, for signs of the seasons, and of the years, making a constant return of the work of men.
Afterwards the kinds of the several animals were created: those belonging to the land, to the water, to the air, and both to air and water; and the skilful wisdom of thy providence bestoweth upon each a suitable provident care. For as it was not unable to produce various kinds, so neither hath it disdained to provide variously for each.
And at the conclusion of the creation, thou gavest direction to thy Wisdom, and formedst a rational living creature, as the citizen of the world, saying, Let us make man after our image, and after our likeness; and hast exhibited him as the ornament of the world, and formed him a body out of the four elements, those primary bodies, but hast prepared a soul out of nothing, and hast bestowed upon him his five senses, and set over his sensations a mind, as the conductor of the soul.
And besides all these things, Lord God, who can worthily declare the motion of the rainy clouds, the shining of the lightning, the noise of the thunder, in order to the supply of proper food, and the most agreeable temperature of the air?
But, when man was disobedient, thou didst deprive him of the life proposed for his reward; yet thou didst not utterly destroy him, but laidest him to sleep for a time; and thou hast by oath called him to a resurrection, and hast loosed the bond of death, thou Reviver of the dead, through Jesus Christ, who is our hope.
XXXV – Prayer with thanksgiving, declarative of God’s care over the beings he hath made
Great art thou, Lord Almighty, and great is thy power; and to thine understanding there is no limit; our Creator and Saviour, rich in benefits, long-suffering, and the Bestower of mercy, who dost not take away thy salvation from thy creatures; for thou art good by nature, and sparest sinners, and invitest them to repentance; for admonition is the effect of thy bowels of compassion. For how should we abide if we were required to come to judgment immediately, when, after so much long-suffering, we hardly emerge from our miserable condition!
The heavens declare thy dominion, and the earth shaketh with earthquakes, and, hanging upon nothing, declare thine unshaken steadfastness. The sea, raging with waves, and feeding a flock of ten thousand creatures, is bounded with sand, as standing in awe at thy will; and it compelleth all men to cry out, How great are thy works, Lord! In wisdom hast Thou made them all. The earth is full of what thou hast created.
And the bright host of angels, and the intellectual spirits, say to Him, One is holy! And the holy seraphim, together with the six-winged cherubim, who sing to thee their triumphal song, cry never-ceasing voices, Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts. Heaven and earth are full of thy glory. And the other multitudes of the orders, angels, archangels, thrones, dominions, principalities, authorities, and powers, cry aloud, and say, Blessed be the glory of the Lord out of his place. But Israel, thy church on earth, taken out of the Gentiles, emulating the heavenly Powers, night and day, with a full heart and a willing soul, singeth, the chariot of God is ten thousand fold, thousands of them that rejoice. The Lord is among them in Sinai, in the holy place.
The heaven knoweth Him who fixed it as a cube of stone, in the form of an arch, upon nothing; who united the land and the water to one another, and scattered the vital air all abroad, and conjoined fire therewith for warmth, and for the mitigation of darkness. The choir of stars striketh us with admiration, declaring Him that numbereth them, and showing Him that nameth them; the animals declare Him that putteth life into them; the trees, Him that maketh them grow; all which creatures, being made by thy word, show forth the greatness of thy power. Wherefore, every man, since by thine appointment he hath power over them all, ought, from his very soul, to send up a hymn to thee, through Christ, in the name of them all.
For thou art kind in thy benefits, and beneficent in thy bowels of compassion; who alone art almighty; for when thou willest, to be able is present with thee. For thine eternal power quencheth flame, and stoppeth the mouths of lions, and tameth whales, and raiseth up the sick, and over-ruleth the power of all things, and overturneth the host of enemies, and casteth down a people numbered in their arrogance. Thou art He who art in heaven, He who art on earth, He who art in the sea, He who art in finite things, thy self unconfined by anything. For of thy majesty there is no boundary; for it is not ours, Lord, but the oracle of thy servant, who said, And thou shalt know in thy heart that the Lord thy God is God in heaven above, and upon the earth beneath; and there is none other besides him. For there is no God besides thee alone; there is none holy besides thee, the Lord, the God of knowledge, the God of the saints, holy above all holy beings; for they are sanctified by thy hands.
Thou art glorious, and highly exalted, invisible by nature, and unsearchable in thy judgments; whose life is without want; whose duration can never fail; whose operation is without toil; whose greatness is unlimited; whose excellency is perpetual; whose habitation is inaccessible; whose dwelling is unchangeable; whose knowledge is without beginning; whose truth is immutable; whose work is without assistant; whose dominion cannot be taken away; whose monarchy is without succession; whose kingdom is without end; whose strength is irresistible; whose army is most numerous. For thou art the Father of wisdom, the Creator, as the primary Author, of the creation, by a Mediator; the Bestower of providence; the Giver of laws; the Supplier of want; the Punisher of the wicked, and the Rewarder of the righteous; the God and Father of Christ, and the Lord of those that are pious towards him, [thine anointed One;] whose promise is infallible; whose judgment is without bribes; whose sentiments are immutable; whose piety is incessant; whose thanksgiving is perpetual; and through whom worthy adoration is due to thee from every rational and holy nature.
XXXVI – A Prayer commemorative of the Incarnation of Christ; and his various providence to the saints
Lord Almighty, thou hast created the world by Christ, and hast appointed the Sabbath in memory thereof; since thou hast made us rest on that day from our works, for meditation upon thy laws. Thou hast also appointed festivals for the rejoicing of our souls, that we might come into the remembrance of the Wisdom that was created by thee; how he, for our sake, submitted to be born of a woman. He appeared in life, manifesting himself in his baptism, that he who thus came forth is God and man. He suffered and died for us by thy permission, and rose again by thy power; on which account, we, solemnly assembling to celebrate the festival of the Resurrection on the Lord’s day, rejoice concerning Him who hath conquered death, and hath brought life and immortality to light. For by him thou hast brought home the Gentiles to thyself, for a peculiar people, the true Israel, beloved of God, and seeing God. For thou, Lord, broughtest our fathers out of the land of Egypt, and didst deliver them out of the iron furnace, from clay and brick-making, and didst redeem them out of the hands of Pharaoh, and of those under him; and didst lead them through the sea, as through dry land; and didst bear their manners in the wilderness, and bestow on them all sorts of good things. Thou didst give them the Law, or Decalogue, which was pronounced by thy voice, and written with thy hand. Thou didst enjoin the observance of the Sabbath, not affording them an occasion of idleness, but an opportunity of piety, for their knowledge of thy power, and the restraint of evils; having enclosed the people, as within a holy circuit, for the sake of instruction, so that they might rejoice on the seventh day. On this account were appointed one week, and seven weeks, and the seventh month, and the seventh year; and the sevenfold revolution of this, the jubilee, which is the fiftieth year, for remission; that men might have no occasion to pretend ignorance.
(For this purpose he permitted men, every Sabbath, to rest, that no one might be disposed to utter a word out of his mouth in anger on the day of the Sabbath. For the Sabbath is the ceasing of the creation, the completion of the world, the inquiry after laws, and the grateful praise to God for the blessings he hath bestowed upon men.)
All which appointed times the Lord’s day excelleth, and showeth the Mediator himself, the Provider, the Lawgiver, the Author of the Resurrection, the First-born of the whole creation, God the Word, and Man; who was born of Mary alone, without a man; who lived a holy life; who was crucified under Pontius Pilate, and died, and rose again from the dead; so that the Lord’s day commandeth us to offer unto thee, Lord, thanksgiving for all. For thus is the grace afforded by thee, which, on account of its greatness, hath obscured all other blessings.
Chapter XXXVII – A Prayer containing a memorial of providence, and an enumeration of the various, benefits afforded to the saints by the providence of God through Christ
Thou who hast fulfilled thy promises made by the prophets, and hast had mercy on Zion, and compassion on Jerusalem, by exalting the throne of David, thy servant, in the midst of her, by the birth of Christ, who was born of his seed, according to the flesh, of a virgin alone; do thou now, Lord God, accept the prayers which proceed from the lips of thy people, who are of the Gentiles, who call upon thee in truth, as thou didst accept of the gifts of the righteous in their generations. In the first place, thou didst respect the sacrifice of Abel, and accept it, as thou didst accept the sacrifice of Noah, when he went out of the ark; of Abraham, when he went out of the land of the Chaldeans; of Isaac, at the well of the oath; of Jacob, in Bethel; of Moses, in the desert; of Aaron, between the dead and the living; of Joshua, the son of Nun in Gilgal; of Gideon, at the rock, and the fleeces, before his sin; of Manoah and his wife, in the field; of Samson, in his thirst, before his transgression; of Jephthah, in the war, before his rash vow; of Barak and Deborah, in the days of Sisera; of Samuel, in Mizpeh; of David, in the threshing-floor of Oman the Jebusite; of Solomon, in Gibeon, and in Jerusalem; of Elijah, in Mount Carmel; of Elisha, at the barren fountain; of Jehosaphat, in war; of Hezekiah, in his sickness, and concerning Sennacherib; of Manasseh, in the land of the Chaldeans, after his transgression; of Josiah, in his Passover; of Ezra, at the return; of Daniel, in the den of lions; of Jonah, in the whale’s belly; of the three children in the fiery furnace; of Hannah, in the tabernacle before the ark; of Nehemiah, at the rebuilding of the walls; of Zerubbabel; of Mattathias and his sons, in their zeal; of Jael, in blessings. And now, therefore, accept the prayers of thy people, which are offered to thee with knowledge, through Christ, in the Spirit.
Chapter XXXVIII – A Prayer for the assistance of the righteous
We give thee thanks for all things, Lord Almighty, that thou hast not taken away from us thy mercies and thy compassions; but in every succeeding generation thou dost save, and deliver, and assist, and protect. For thou didst assist in the days of Enos and Enoch; in the days of Moses and Joshua; in the days of the judges; in the days of Samuel, and of Elijah, and of the prophets; in the days of David, and of the kings; in the days of Esther and Mordecai; in the days of Judith; in the days of Judas Maccabeus and his brethren. And in our days thou hast assisted us by thy great High Priest, Jesus Christ, thy Son. For he hath delivered us from the sword, and hath freed us from famine, and sustained us; hath delivered us from sickness, and hath preserved us from an evil tongue. For all which things we give thee thanks, through Christ, who hath given us an articulate voice for confession, and added to it a suitable tongue, as an instrument to modulate withal, and a proper taste, and a well-adapted feeling, and sight for seeing, and the hearing of sounds, and the smelling of exhalations, and hands for work, and feet for walking. And all these members thou formest from a little drop in the womb; and, after the formation, thou bestowest on it an immortal soul, and bringest it forth into the light. The rational creature, man, thou hast instructed by thy laws, thou hast purified by thy statutes; and though thou bringest on a dissolution for a little while, thou hast promised a resurrection.
Wherefore, what life is sufficient, what length of ages will be long enough, for men to render thanks? To do it worthily is impossible; but to do it according to our ability, is just and right. For thou hast delivered us from the impiety of polytheism, and from the heresy of the murderers of Christ. Thou hast delivered us from error and ignorance. Thou hast sent Christ among men, as a man, being the only-begotten God. Thou hast sent the Comforter to dwell in us. Thou hast set angels over us. Thou hast put the devil to shame. Thou hast brought us into being when we were not; thou takest care of us when made; thou measurest out life to us; thou suppliest us with food; thou hast promised repentance.
Glory and worship be to thee, for all these things, through Jesus Christ, now and ever, and throughout all ages. Amen.
Meditate on these things, brethren; and the Lord be with you upon earth, and in the kingdom of his Father, who both sent him, and hath delivered us, by him, from the bondage of corruption into his glorious liberty; and hath promised life to those who, through him, have believed in the God of the universe.
Now, after what manner those ought to live that are initiated into Christ, and what thanksgivings they ought to send up to God through Christ, have been mentioned in the foregoing directions. But it is reasonable not to leave, without assistance, even those who are not yet initiated.
Chapter XXXIX – How the Catechumens are to be instructed in the elements
He, therefore, who is to be catechized in the word of piety, let him be instructed before his baptism in the knowledge of the unbegotten God, in the understanding of his only-begotten Son, in the assured acknowledgment of the Holy Spirit. Let him learn the order of the several parts of the creation, the series of providence, the different dispensations of the laws. Let him be instructed why the world was made, and why man was appointed to be a citizen therein. Let him also know his own nature; of what sort it is. Let him be taught how God punished the wicked with water; and how he glorified the saints in each generation; I mean Seth, and Enos, and Enoch, and Noah, and Abraham and his posterity, and Melchisedek, and Job, and Moses, and Joshua, and Caleb, and Phineas the priest, and those that were holy in each generation; and how God still took care of and did not reject mankind, but, at various times, called them from their error and vanity to the acknowledgment of the truth; bringing them back from bondage and impiety to liberty and piety, from injustice to righteousness, from death eternal to everlasting life.
Let him who is coming to baptism learn these and the like things, in his catechetical instruction; and let him who layeth his hands upon him, adore God, the Lord of the universe, and thank him in behalf of his creature, for sending Christ, his only-begotten Son, that he might save man, blotting out his transgressions; and that he might remit ungodliness and sins, and might purify him from all filthiness of flesh and spirit, and sanctify man according to the good pleasure of his kindness, that he might inspire him with the knowledge of his will, and enlighten the eyes of his heart to consider of his wonderful works, and make known to him the judgments of righteousness; that so he might hate every way of iniquity, and walk in the way of truth; that he might be thought worthy of the laver of regeneration, to the adoption of sons, which is in Christ; that, being planted together in the likeness of the death of Christ, in hope of a glorious participation, he may be dead to sin, and may live to God, as to his mind, and word, and deed, and may be numbered together in the book of the living.
And, after this thanksgiving, let him instruct him in the doctrines concerning our Lord’s incarnation, and in those concerning his passion, and his resurrection from the dead, and his assumption.
Chapter XL – A constitution how the Catechumens are to be blessed by the Priests, in their initiation; and what things are to be taught them
And when the catechumen is just at the point of being baptized, let him learn what concerneth the renunciation of the devil, and the joining himself with Christ. For it is fit that he should first abstain from things contrary, and then be admitted to the mysteries. He must, beforehand, purify his heart from all wickedness of disposition, from all spot and wrinkle, and then partake of the holy things. For as the most skilful husbandman first cleareth his ground of the thorns which are grown up therein, and then soweth his wheat, so ought ye also to take away all impiety from them [the catechumens]; and then to sow the seeds of piety in them, and bestow baptism. For thus our Lord exhorted us, saying, first, Make disciples of all nations; and then he added this, and baptize them into the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.
Let, therefore, the candidate for baptism declare, in his renunciation,
Chapter XLI – The renunciation of the adversary, and the dedication to the Christ of God
I renounce Satan, and his works, and his pomps, and his worship, and his angels, and his inventions, and all things that are under him.
And, after this renunciation, let him, in his dedication, say, And I associate myself with Christ, and believe in and am baptized into one unbegotten Being, the only true God Almighty, the Father of Christ, the Creator and Maker of all things, from whom are all things; and into the Lord Jesus Christ, his only-begotten Son, the First-born of the whole creation, who, before the ages, was, by the good pleasure of the Father, begotten, not created; through whom all things were made, both those in heaven and those on earth, visible and invisible; who, in the last days, descended from heaven, and took flesh, and was born of the holy virgin Mary, and lived a holy life, according to the laws of his God and Father, and was crucified under Pontius Pilate, and died for us; and rose again from the dead, after his Passion, the third day, and ascended into the heavens, and sitteth at the right hand of the Father; and again is to come at the end of the world, with glory, to judge the living and the dead; of whose kingdom there shall be no end. I am baptized also into the Holy Ghost, that is, the Comforter, who wrought in all the saints from the beginning of the world, but was afterwards sent to the apostles by the Father, according to the promise of our Saviour and Lord Jesus Christ, and, after the apostles, to all who believe, in the holy Catholic church; into the resurrection of the flesh, and into the remission of sins, and into the kingdom of heaven, and into the life of the world to come.
And, after this declaration, he cometh in order to the anointing with oil.
Chapter XLII – A Thanksgiving in respect to the anointing with the mystical oil
Now this is blessed by the high priest for the remission of sins and the preparative for baptism. For he invoketh the unbegotten God, the Father of Christ, the King of all sensible and intelligent natures, that he would sanctify the oil in the name of the Lord Jesus, and bestow spiritual grace, and efficacious strength, the remission of sins, and the preparation for the confession of baptism; that so the candidate for baptism, when he is anointed, may be freed from all ungodliness, and may become worthy of initiation, according to the command of the Only-begotten.
Chapter XLII – A Thanksgiving concerning the mystical water
After this, he cometh to the water. The priest blesseth and glorifieth the Lord God Almighty, the Father of the only-begotten God; returning thanks, that he sent his Son to become man on our account, that he might save us; that he permitted him to become obedient, in all things, to the laws of that incarnation, to preach the kingdom of heaven, the remission of sins, and the resurrection of the dead.
Moreover, he adoreth the only-begotten God himself (after the Father, and for him), giving him thanks that he undertook to suffer death by the cross for all men; an emblem of which death he hath appointed to be the baptism of regeneration.
He giveth glory also, that, in the name, of Christ, God, the Lord of the universe, in the Holy Spirit, hath not cast off mankind, but hath suited his providence to the difference of times; first giving to Adam himself, with a regard to his enjoyment, Paradise, as a habitation; then, with a regard to provident care, delivering to him a command, but justly expelling him when he had transgressed; yet not utterly casting him off, but instructing his posterity, in succeeding ages, in various ways; and, on his account, towards the conclusion of the world, he hath sent his Son to become man for man’s sake, and to be subject to all human affections without sin. Him, therefore, let the priest even now implore at the baptism, and let him say, Look down from heaven, and sanctify this water; and bestow grace and power, so that he who is to be baptized, according to the command of thy Christ, may be crucified with him, and may die with him, and may be buried with him, and may rise with him to the adoption which is in him, by being made dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto righteousness.
And after this, when he hath baptized him in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, he shall anoint him with ointment, and shall add as followeth:
Chapter XLIV – A Thanksgiving concerning the, mystical ointment
Lord God, who art without generation, and without a superior. the Lord of the universe, who hast scattered the fragrance of the knowledge of the Gospel among all nations, do thou grant, at this time, that this ointment may be efficacious upon him that is baptized, so that the sweet odor of thy Christ may continue upon him firm and fixed, and that, having died with him, he may rise with him, and live with him.
Let him say these and the like things; for this is the efficacy of the laying of hands on each. For, unless there be such an invocation made by a pious priest over every one of these, the candidate for baptism only descendeth into the water, as do the Jews; and he putteth off only the filth of the body, not the filth of the soul.
After this, let him stand up, and pray that prayer which the Lord taught us; for, of necessity, he who is risen again ought to stand up and pray; because he that is raised up standeth upright. Let him, therefore, who hath been dead with Christ, and is raised up with him, stand up. But let him pray towards the east. For this also is written in the second book of the Chronicles, that, after the temple of the Lord was finished by king Solomon, in the very Feast of Dedication, the priests, and the Levites, and the singers, stood up towards the east, praising and thanking God, with cymbals and psalteries, and saying, Praise the Lord, for he is good; for his mercy endureth forever.
Chapter XLV – A Prayer of the newly initiated
Moreover, let him pray thus after the foregoing prayer, and say, God Almighty, the Father of thy Christ, thine only-begotten Son, give me a body undefiled, a heart pure, a mind watchful, an unerring knowledge, the influence of the Holy Spirit for the obtaining and the full assurance of the truth, through thy Christ; by whom glory be to thee, in the Holy Spirit, forever. Amen.
These constitutions we have thought it right to make concerning the catechumens.
Chapter XLVI – Who they were whom the holy apostles sent and ordained
Now concerning those Bishops who have been ordained in our lifetime, we make known to you that they are these: Of Jerusalem, James, the brother of our Lord; upon whose death the second was Symeon, the son of Cleopas; after whom, Judas, the son of James. Of Caesarea in Palestine, the first was Zaccheus, who was once a publican; after whom was Cornelius; and the third, Theophilus. Of Antioch, Euodius, by me, Peter; and Ignatius, by Paul. Of Alexandria, Annianus was the first, by Mark the Evangelist; the second, Avilius, by Luke, who also was an evangelist.
Of the church of Rome, Linus, the son of Claudia, was the first, by Paul; and Clement, after Linus’s death, the second, by me, Peter. Of Ephesus, Timothy, by Paul; and John, by me, John. Of Smyrna, Aristo was the first; after whom, Strataeas, the son of Lois; and the third, Aristo. Of Pergamos, Gaius. Of Philadelphia, Demetrius, by me [John]. Of Cenchrea, Lucius, by Paul. Of Crete, Titus. Of Athens, Dionysius. Of Tripoli in Phoenicia, Marathones. Of Laodicea in Phrygia, Archippus of Colosse, Philemon. Of Beroea in Macedonia, Onesimus, once the servant of Philemon. Of the churches of Galatia, Crescens. Of the parishes of Asia, Aquila and Nicetas. Of the church of Egina, Crispus.
These are the Bishops who have been intrusted by us with the parishes in the Lord; whose doctrine keep ye always in mind, and observe our words. And may the Lord be with you now, and to endless ages; as he himself said to us, when he was about to be taken up to his own God and Father. For, Lo (he saith), I am with you all the days, until the end of the world. Amen.
Chapter XLVII – A Morning Prayer
Glory be to God in the highest; and upon earth, peace, good will among men. We praise thee, we sing hymns to thee, we bless thee, we glorify thee, we worship thee, by thy great High Priest; thee, who art the true God, who art the One unbegotten, the only inaccessible Being. For thy great glory, Lord and heavenly King, God, the Father Almighty, Lord God, the Father of Christ, the immaculate Lamb, who taketh away the sin of the world, receive our prayer, thou that sittest upon the cherubim; since thou only art holy. Thou only, Jesus, art our Lord, the Christ of the God of all that hath been brought forth, of the God our King. Through this our Lord, glory be to thee, and honor, and worship.
Chapter XLVIII – An Evening Prayer
Ye children, praise the Lord; praise the name of the Lord. We praise thee, we sing hymns to thee, we bless thee for thy great glory, Lord, our King, the Father of Christ, the immaculate Lamb, that taketh away the sin of the world. Praise becometh thee, hymns become thee, glory becometh thee, the God and Father, through the Son, in the most Holy Spirit, forever and ever. Amen.
Now, Lord, lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word; for mine eyes have seen thy salvation, which thou hast prepared before the face of all people; a light to enlighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel.
Chapter XLIX – A Prayer at Dinner
Blessed art thou, Lord, who dost nourish me from my youth; who givest food to all flesh. Fill our hearts with joy and gladness, that, having always what is sufficient for us, we may abound to every good work, in Christ Jesus, our Lord; through whom glory, honor, and power, be to thee forever. Amen.
End of Book VII
BOOK VIII – Concerning Gifts, And Ordinations, And Ecclesiastical Canons.
Chapter I – On whose account the miraculous powers are put forth
JESUS CHRIST, our God and Saviour, having delivered to us the great mystery of godliness, and called both Jews and Gentiles to the acknowledgment of the one and only true God his Father, as he himself somewhere saith, when he was giving thanks for the salvation of those that had believed, I have manifested thy name to men; I have finished the work which thou gavest me; and having said concerning us to his Father, Holy Father, although the world hath not known thee, yet I have known thee; and these have known thee; he with good reason said to all of us together, when we were perfected, concerning those gifts which were given from him by the Spirit, Now these signs shall follow them that have believed in my name: They shall cast out demons; they shall speak with new tongues; they shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them. They shall lay their hands on the sick, and they shall recover.
These gifts were first bestowed on us the apostles, when we were about to preach the Gospel to every creature; but afterwards they were of necessity afforded to those who through us had believed, not for the advantage of those who perform them, but for the conviction of the unbelievers; that those whom the word did not persuade, the power of signs might put to shame. For signs are not for us who believe, but for the unbelievers, both of the Jews and of the Gentiles. For neither is it any profit to us to cast out demons, but to those who are so cleansed by the power of the Lord; as the Lord himself somewhere instructeth us, and showeth, saying, Rejoice not that the spirits are subject unto you; but rejoice that your names are written in heaven: since the former is done by his power, but this by our good will and diligence; we, it is evident, being assisted by him.
It is not therefore necessary, that every one of the faithful should cast out demons, or raise the dead, or speak with tongues; but that he should, on whom this gift has been bestowed for some useful object, in respect to the salvation of the unbelievers, who are often put to shame, not by the convincing proof of words, but by the power of signs; that is, such as are worthy of salvation. For all the ungodly are not converted by miracles; and this God himself testifieth, as when he saith in the Law, With other tongues will I speak to this people, and with other lips, and yet they will not believe. For neither did the Egyptians believe in God, when Moses had done so many signs and wonders; nor did the multitude of the Jews believe in Christ (who was like Moses), when he healed every sickness and every disease among them; nor were the former shamed by the rod which was turned into a living serpent, nor by the hand which was made white with leprosy, nor by the river Nile turned into blood; nor the latter by the blind who recovered their sight, nor by the lame who walked, nor by the dead who were raised. Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses; Annas and Caiaphas, Christ. Thus signs do not shame all into belief, but only those of a good disposition; for whose sake also it is that God is pleased, as a wise superintendent, to appoint miracles to be wrought, not by the power of men, but by his own will.
Now we say these things, that those who have received such gifts may not exalt themselves against those who have not received them; such gifts, we mean, as are for the working of miracles; since there is no man who hath believed in God, through Christ, that hath not received some spiritual gift. For this very thing, to have been delivered from the impiety of Polytheism, and to have believed in God the Father, through Christ, is a gift of God; as also it is to have cast off the veil of Judaism, and to have believed that, by the good pleasure of God, his only-begotten Son, who was before all ages, was in the later time born of a virgin, without the company of a man; , and that he lived as a man, yet without sin, and fulfilled all that righteousness which is of the law; and that, by the permission of God, he who was God the Word endured the cross, and despised the shame; and that he died, and was buried, and rose within three days; and that, after his resurrection, having continued forty days with his apostles, and completed his whole constitutions, he was taken up in their sight to his God and Father who had sent him. He who hath believed these things, not at random, nor irrationally, but with judgment and full assurance, hath received a gift from God. So also hath he who is delivered from every heresy.
Let not, therefore, anyone that worketh signs and wonders judge anyone of the faithful who is not honored with the gift of working them. For the gifts of God which are bestowed by him through Christ, are various. And thou, indeed, hast received this gift, but that man, some other: for perhaps one hath the word of wisdom; another, the word of knowledge; another, discerning of spirits; another, foreknowledge of things to come; another, the word of teaching; another, patience; another, continence according to the law. For even Moses, the man of God, when he wrought signs in Egypt, did not exalt himself against the men of his nation; and when he was called a god, he did not arrogantly despise his own prophet Aaron. Nor did Joshua, the son of Nun, who was the leader of the people after him, though, in the war with the Jebusites, he had made the sun stand still over against Gibeon, and the moon over against the valley of Ajalon, because the day was not long enough for the victory, insult over Phineas or Caleb. Nor did Samuel, who had done so many surprising things, disregard David, the beloved of God; yet they were both prophets, and the one was high priest, and the other was king.
And when there were only seven thousand holy men in Israel who had not bowed the knee to Baal, Elijah alone among them, and his disciple Elisha, were workers of miracles; yet neither did Elijah despise Abdiah the steward, who feared God, but wrought no signs; nor did Elisha despise his own disciple, when he trembled at the enemies. Moreover, neither did the wise Daniel, who was twice delivered from the mouths of the lions, nor the three children who were delivered from the furnace of fire, despise the rest of their nation. For they knew that they had not escaped these terrible miseries by their own might, but that they both performed miracles, and were delivered from miseries, by the power of God.
Therefore let none of you exalt himself against his brethren, though he be a prophet, or though he be a worker of miracles. For if it happen that there be no longer an unbeliever, all the power of signs will thenceforward be superfluous; and to be pious is from one’s good will, but to work wonders is from the power of Him that worketh them by us; the first of which respecteth ourselves, but the second respecteth God that worketh them, for the reasons which we have already mentioned.
Therefore, neither let a king despise the officers that are under him; nor rulers, their subjects. For where there are none to be ruled over, rulers are superfluous; and where there are no officers, the kingdom will not stand.
Moreover, let not a Bishop be exalted against the Deacons and the Presbyters; nor the Presbyters against the people; for from each and all of these is the composition of the congregation; for the Bishops and the Presbyters are Priests of certain persons, and the Laity are laymen of certain persons. And, indeed, to be a Christian is in our own power; but to be an Apostle, or a Bishop, or in any other such office, is not in our own power, but at the disposal of God who bestoweth the gifts.
Thus much on account of those who have been deemed worthy of gifts and dignities.
Chapter II – Concerning unworthy Bishops and Presbyters
But to our discourse we add, that neither is every one that prophesieth holy, nor every one that casteth out demons, religious; for even Balaam the son of Beor, the prophet, prophesizes, though he was himself wicked; as also did Caiaphas, the falsely named high priest. Indeed, even the devil foretelleth manythings, and the demons about him; and yet, for all that, there is not a spark of piety in them; for they are oppressed with ignorance, by reason of their voluntary wickedness. It is manifest, therefore, that the ungodly, although they prophesy, do not, by their prophesying, cover their own impiety; nor will they who cast out demons be sanctified by the demons’ being made subject to them; for they only mock one another, as they do who play childish tricks for mirth; and they destroy those who give heed to them. Nor is a wicked king any longer a king, but a tyrant; nor is a Bishop oppressed with ignorance or an evil disposition, a Bishop, but falsely so called, being not one sent out by God, but by men, as Hananiah and Shemaiah in Jerusalem, and Zedekiah and Achiah, the false prophets in Babylon. And, indeed, Balaam, when he had corrupted Israel by Baal-Peor, suffered punishment; and Caiaphas at last was his own murderer; and the sons of Sceva, endeavoring to cast out demons, were wounded by them, and fled away in an unseemly manner; and the kings of Israel and Judah, when they became wicked, suffered many kinds of punishment.
It is therefore evident that Bishops and Presbyters, also, falsely so called, will not escape the judgment of God. For it will be said to them even now, ye Priests that despise my name, will deliver you up to the slaughter, as I did Zedekiah and Achiah, whom the Ung of Babylon fried in a frying-pan, as saith Jeremiah the prophet. We say these things, not in contempt of true prophecies, for we know that they are wrought in holy men by the inspiration of God; but to repress the audacity of vain-glorious men. And we add this withal, that from such as these God taketh away his grace. For God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace to the humble, Indeed, Silas and Agabus have prophesied in our times; yet they have not claimed to be equal to the apostles, nor have they exceeded their own measures, though they are beloved of God. Besides, women also have prophesied: of old, Miriam, the sister of Moses and Aaron; and, after her, Deborah; and, after these, Huldah and Judith; the former under Josiah, the latter under Darius. The mother of our Lord, likewise, prophesied, and her kinswoman Elizabeth, and Anna; and, in our times, the daughters of Philip. Yet these were not elated against their husbands, but preserved their own measures. Therefore, if among you also there be a man or a woman, and such a one obtain any gift, let him be humble, that God may be pleased with him. For, saith he, Upon whom will I look, but upon him that is humble and quiet, and trembleth at my words?
Chapter III – That to make constitutions concerning those things which are to be performed in the churches, is of great consequence
We have indeed set forth the first part of this discourse concerning gifts, whatever they may be, which God hath bestowed upon men, according to his own will; and how he rebuked the ways of those who either attempted to speak lies, or were moved by the spirit of the adversary; and that, from the wicked, God often taketh away his grace, both as to prophecy and as to the performance of miracles.
But now our discourse hasteneth us to the principal part of the portraiture of ecclesiastical affairs, that so, when ye have learned this constitution from us, ye who have been ordained Bishops by us, conformably to the will of Christ, may perform all things according to the commands delivered to us; knowing that he who heareth us heareth Christ, and he who heareth Christ heareth his God and Father; to whom be glory forever. Amen.
Chapter IV – Concerning Ordinations
Wherefore, we the Twelve Apostles of the Lord, who are now together, give you in charge these our Divine Constitutions concerning every ecclesiastical form; there being present with us Paul the chosen vessel, our fellow-apostle, and James the Bishop, and the rest of the Presbyters, and the seven Deacons.
In the first place, therefore, I Peter say, that a Bishop to be ordained is to be, as we have already all of us appointed, unblamable in all things, a select person, chosen by the whole people. And when he is named and approved, let the people assemble, with the Presbytery and Bishops that are present, on the Lord’s day; and let them give their consent. And let him who is preferred among the rest ask the Presbytery and the people, whether this is the person whom they desire for their ruler. And if they give their consent, let him ask further, whether he hath a good testimony from all men, as to his worthiness for so great and glorious an authority; whether all things relating to his piety towards God are right; whether justice towards men hath been observed by him; whether the affairs of his family have been well ordered by him; whether he hath been unblamable in the course of his life.
And if all the assembly together do, according to truth and not according to prejudice, testify that he is such a one, let them, the third time, as before God the Judge, and Christ, the Holy Ghost also assuredly being present, and all the holy ministering spirits, ask again, whether he is truly worthy of this ministry; that so, if in the mouth of two or three witnesses, every word may be established. And if they agree, the third time, that he is worthy, let them all be demanded their vote; and when they all give it willingly, let them be heard. And, silence being made, let one of the principal Bishops, together with two others, stand near the altar; the rest of the Bishops and Presbyters praying silently, and the Deacons holding the holy Gospels open upon the head of him that is to be ordained; and say to God,
Chapter V – Form of Prayer for the ordination of a Bishop
Thou the Great Being, thou Supreme Ruler, Lord, God Almighty, who alone art unbegotten and independent; who always art, and wast before the worlds; who needest nothing, and art above all cause and beginning; who only art true, who only art wise; who only art Most High; who art by nature invisible; whose knowledge is without beginning; who only art good and incomparable; who knowest all things before they are; who art acquainted with the most secret things; who art inaccessible, and without a superior; the God and Father of thine only-begotten Son, of our God and Saviour; the Creator of the universe by him; the Provider, the Guardian; the Father of mercies, and God of all consolation; who dwellest in the highest heavens, and yet lookest down on things below; thou who didst appoint the rules of the church by the coming of thy Christ in the flesh, under the Comforter as witness, by thine apostles, and by us the Bishops, who by thy grace are here present; who hast foreordained priests from the beginning, for the government of thy people; Abel in the first place, Seth and Enos, and Enoch and Noah, and Melchisedek and Job; who didst appoint Abraham, and the rest of the patriarchs, with thy faithful servants Moses and Aaron, and Eleazar and Phineas; who didst choose from among them rulers and priests in the tabernacle of thy testimony; who didst choose Samuel for a priest and a prophet; who didst not leave thy sanctuary without ministers; who didst delight in those whom thou chosest to be glorified in; do thou thyself, by the mediation of thy Christ, through us, pour down at this time the influence of thy free Spirit, which is administered by thy beloved Son, Jesus Christ; which he bestowed, according to thy will, on the holy apostles of thee, the eternal God. Grant by thy name, God, who searchest the hearts, that this thy servant, whom thou hast chosen to be a Bishop, may feed thy holy flock, and discharge the office of a high priest to thee, and minister to thee unblamably, night and day; that he may appease thee, and gather together the number of those that shall be saved, and may offer to thee the gifts of thy holy church. Grant to him, Lord Almighty, through thy Christ, the communion of the Holy Spirit, that so he may have power to remit sins according to thy command; to distribute clerical offices according to thine ordinance; to loose every bond, according to the power which thou gavest to the apostles; that he may please thee, in meekness and a pure heart, steadfastly, unblamably, irreproachably, while he offereth to thee a pure and unbloody sacrifice, which, by thy Christ, thou hast appointed as the mystery of the new covenant, for a sweet savor, through thy holy child Jesus Christ, our God and Saviour; through whom glory, honor, and worship, be to thee, in the Holy Spirit, now and always, and for all ages.
And when he hath prayed for these things, let the rest of the priests add, Amen; and, together with them, all the people.
And, after the prayer, let one of the Bishops elevate the sacrifice upon the hands of him that is ordained; and early in the morning let him be enthroned, in a place set apart for him, among the rest of the Bishops, they all giving him the kiss in the Lord. And after the reading of the Law and the Prophets, and our Epistles, and Acts, and the Gospels, let him that is ordained salute the church, saying, The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of our God and Father, and the fellowship of the Holy Ghost, be with you all; and let them all answer, And with thy spirit. And, after the salutation, let him speak to the people the words of exhortation; and when he hath ended his instructive discourse, I Andrew, the brother of Peter, say, that, while all, having risen, are standing up, let the Deacon ascend to some high place and proclaim, Let none of the hearers, let none of the unbelievers stay. And silence being made, let him say,
Chapter VI – The Divine Liturgy, in which is the bidding Prayer for the Catechumens
Ye catechumens, pray; and let all the faithful pray for them in their mind, saying, Lord, have mercy on them. And let the Deacon bid prayers for them, saying, Let us all implore God for the catechumens, that He that is good, He that is the lover of mankind, may mercifully hear their prayers and supplications, and so accept their petitions as to assist them, and give them those desires of their hearts which are for their advantage; and reveal to them the gospel of his Christ, give them illumination and understanding, instruct them in the knowledge of God, teach them his commands and his ordinances, implant in them his saving and holy fear, open the ears of their hearts, that they may exercise themselves in his law day and night; strengthen them in piety, unite them to and number them with his flock, deeming them worthy of the laver of regeneration, and the garment of incorruption, which is the true life; and deliver them from all ungodliness, and give no place to the adversary against them, but cleanse them from all filthiness of flesh and spirit, and dwell in them, and walk in them by his Christ; bless their coming in and their going out, and order their affairs for their good. Let us still earnestly supplicate for them, that they, obtaining by their initiation the forgiveness of their transgressions, may be esteemed worthy of the holy mysteries, and of continuance with the saints.
Rise up, ye catechumens. Pray ye that ye may have the peace of God through Christ; a peaceful day, and without sin; and that such may be the whole time of your life. Pray that yours may be a Christian death. Seek a compassionate and merciful God, and the forgiveness of your transgressions. Dedicate yourselves to the only unbegotten God, through his Christ. Bow down your heads, and receive the blessing.
But upon the mention of each of these particulars which the Deacon uttereth in bidding to pray, as we said before, let the people say, Lord, have mercy; and let the children say it first.
And as the catechumens have bowed down their heads, let the Bishop who is newly ordained bless them with this blessing:
God Almighty, unbegotten and inaccessible, who only art the true God, the God and Father of thy Christ, thine only-begotten Son; the God of the Comforter, and Lord of the universe; who by Christ didst appoint the disciples to be teachers, that men might learn piety; do thou thyself even now look down upon thy servants who are catechized in the gospel of thy Christ, and give them a new heart, and renew a right spirit in their inward parts, that they may both know and do thy will with full purpose of heart, and with a willing soul. Account them worthy of the holy initiation, and unite them to thy holy church, and make them partakers of the holy mysteries, through Christ, our hope, who for them suffered death; through whom glory and worship be given to thee in the Holy Spirit, forever. Amen.
And, after this, let the Deacon say, Go out, ye catechumens, in peace.
And after they are gone out, let him say, Ye energumens afflicted with unclean spirits, pray; and let us all earnestly pray for them, that God, the lover of mankind, may by Christ rebuke the unclean and wicked spirits, and deliver his supplicants from the dominion of the adversary. He that rebuked the legion of demons, and the prince of wickedness, the devil, may he himself even now rebuke these apostates from piety, and deliver his own workmanship from their power, and cleanse those whom he hath made with much wisdom. Let us still pray earnestly for them. Save them, God, and raise them up by thy power.
Bow down your heads, ye energumens, and receive the blessing.
And let the Bishop add a prayer, saying,
Chapter VII – Prayer for the Energumens
Thou who hast bound the strong man, and spoiled all that was in his house; who hast given us power over serpents and scorpions to tread upon them, and upon all the power of the enemy; who hast delivered the serpent, the murderer of men, bound, to us, as a parent to children; thou whom all things dread, trembling before the face of thy power; who hast cast him down as lightning from heaven to earth; not with a fall from a place, but from honor to dishonor, on account of his voluntary evil disposition; thou whose look drieth the abysses, and whose threatening melteth the mountains, and whose truth remaineth forever; whom the infants praise, and sucking babes whom angels sing hymns to and adore; who lookest upon the earth, and makest it tremble; who touchest the mountains, and they smoke; who threatenest the sea, and driest it up, and makest all its rivers as a desert, and whose clouds are the dust of thy feet; who walkest upon the sea as upon firm ground; thou only-begotten God, the Son of the great Father, rebuke these wicked spirits, and deliver the works of thy hands from the power of the adverse spirit.
For to thee belong glory, honor, and worship, and through thee to thy Father, in the Holy Spirit, forever. Amen.
And let the Deacon say, Go out, ye energumens; and, after they have gone out, let him cry aloud, Ye that are about to be illuminated, pray. Let all of us the faithful earnestly pray for them, that the Lord may deem them worthy, after being initiated into the death of Christ, to rise with him, and become partakers of his kingdom, and communicants of his mysteries; may unite them to and number them among those that are saved in his holy church. Save them, and raise them up in thy grace.
Having sealed themselves to God through his Christ, and having bowed down their heads, let them receive this blessing from the Bishop:
Chapter VIII - Prayer for the persons about to be baptized
Thou who hast formerly said by thy prophets to those that were to be initiated, Wash ye, become clean; and hast through Christ appointed the spiritual regeneration; do thou thyself even now look upon these that are about to be baptized, and bless them, and sanctify them, and prepare them, that they may become worthy of thy spiritual gift, and of the true adoption; of thy spiritual mysteries; of being gathered together with those that are saved through Christ our Saviour; through whom glory, honor, and worship, be to thee, in the Holy Spirit, forever. Amen.
And let the Deacon say, Go out, ye that are about to be illuminated.
And, after this, let him proclaim, Ye penitents, pray; and let us all earnestly pray for our brethren in the state of penance; that God, the lover of compassion, may show to them the way of repentance, and accept their return and their confession, and bruise Satan under their feet shortly; and redeem them from the snare of the devil, and the ill-usage of the demons; and free them from every unlawful word, and every absurd practice and wicked thought; forgive them all their offences, both voluntary and involuntary, and blot out the handwriting which is against them, and write them in the Book of Life; cleanse them from all filthiness of flesh and spirit, and restore and unite them to his holy flock. For He knoweth our frame; for who can say that he hath a clean heart? And who can boldly say, that he is pure from sin? For we are all under penalties. Let us still pray for them more earnestly (for there is joy in heaven over one sinner that repenteth); that, being converted from every evil work, they may be joined to all good practice; that God, the lover of mankind, may soon accept their supplications propitiously; restore to them the joy of his salvation, and strengthen them with his free spirit; that they may not be any more shaken, but be admitted to the communion of his most holy things, and become partakers of the divine mysteries; that, appearing worthy of his adoption, they may obtain eternal life. Let us all still earnestly say on their account, Lord, have mercy. Save them, God, and raise them up by thy mercy.
When ye have risen up, bow your heads to God, through his Christ, and receive the blessing.
Let the Bishop then add this prayer:
Chapter IX – The imposition of hands, and Prayer for the Penitent
Almighty, eternal God, Lord of the universe, the Creator and Governor of all things; who hast exhibited man as the ornament of the world through Christ, and didst give him a law both naturally implanted and written, that he might live according to law, as a rational creature; and, when he had sinned, thou gavest him thy goodness as a pledge, in order to his repentance. Look upon these persons, who have bowed the neck of their soul and body to thee. You desirest not the death of a sinner, but his repentance, that he turn from his wicked way and live. Thou who didst accept the repentance of the Ninevites; who willest that all men be saved, and come to the acknowledgement of the truth; who didst accept of that son who had consumed his substance in riotous living, with the bowels of a father, on account of his repentance; do thou thyself also now accept of the repentance of thy supplicants; because there is no man that sinneth not; for if thou, Lord, markest iniquities, Lord, who shall stand? because with thee there is propitiation. And do thou restore them to thy holy church, into their former dignity and honor, through Christ, our God and Saviour, through whom glory and adoration be to thee, in the Holy Spirit, forever. Amen.
Then let the Deacon say, Depart, ye Penitents.
And let him add, Let no one of those who have not a right, draw near. All we of the faithful, let us bow the knee. Let us entreat God, through his Christ; let us all earnestly beseech God, through his Christ.
Chapter X – The bidding Prayer for the Faithful
Let us pray for the peace and welfare of the world, and of the holy churches; that the God of the universe may afford us his everlasting peace, and such as may not be taken away from us; that he may preserve us in a full prosecution of such virtue as is according to godliness. Let us pray for the holy Catholic and Apostolic church, which is spread from one end of the earth to the other; that the Lord may preserve and keep it unshaken, and free from the waves of this life until the end of the world, as founded upon a rock; and let us pray for this holy parish, that the Lord of the universe may deem us worthy, without failure, to follow after the heavenly hope, and, without ceasing, to pay him the debt of our prayer. Let us pray forevery Episcopate which is under the whole heaven, of those that rightly divide the word of thy truth. And let us pray for our bishop James, and his parishes. Let us pray for our bishop Clement, and his parishes. Let us pray for our bishop Euodius, and his parishes. Let us pray for our bishop Annianus, and his parishes; that the compassionate God may grant them to continue in his holy churches in health, honor, and long life, and afford them an honorable old age, in godliness and righteousness. And let us pray for our Presbyters, that the Lord may deliver them from every unreasonable and wicked action, and afford them a Presbyterate in health and honor. Let us pray for all the Deacons and subordinate servants of the church, that the Lord may grant them an unblamable reputation. Let us pray for the Readers, Singers, Virgins, Widows, and Orphans.
Let us pray for those that are in marriage and child-bearing; that the Lord may have mercy upon them all. Let us pray for the eunuchs, leading a life of sanctity. Let us pray for those persons that are in a state of continency and religious abstinence. Let us pray for those that bear fruit in the holy church, and give alms to the needy. And let us pray for those who offer sacrifices and oblations to the Lord our God; that God, the fountain of all goodness, may recompense them with his heavenly gifts, and give them in this world a hundred-fold, and in the world to come life everlasting; and bestow upon them, for their temporal things, those that are eternal; for earthly things, those that are heavenly.
Let us pray for our brethren newly enlightened, that the Lord may strengthen and confirm them. Let us pray for our brethren afflicted with sickness, that the Lord may deliver them from every disease and every malady, and restore them sound to his holy church. Let us pray for those that travel by water or by land. Let us pray for those that are in the mines, in banishment, in prisons, and in bonds, for the name of the Lord. Let us pray for those that are worn down with toil in bitter servitude. Let us pray for our enemies, and those that hate us. Let us pray for those that persecute us for the name of the Lord, that the Lord may pacify their anger, and cause their wrath against us to pass away. Let us pray for those that are without, and have wandered out of the way, that the Lord may convert them. Let us be mindful of the infants of the church; that the Lord may perfect them in his fear, and bring them to a complete age. Let us pray one for another; that the Lord may keep us by his grace to the end, and deliver us from the evil one, and from all the scandals of those that work iniquity, and preserve us unto his heavenly kingdom. Let us pray forevery Christian soul.
Save us, and raise us up, God, by thy mercy.
Let us rise up, and let us pray earnestly, and dedicate ourselves and one another to the living God, through his Christ.
Moreover, let the High Priest offer a prayer, and say,
Chapter XI - Form of Prayer for the Faithful
Lord Almighty, the Most High, who dwellest on high, the Holy One, that restest among the saints, without beginning, the Only Potentate; who hast given to us, through Christ, the preaching of knowledge, to the acknowledgment of thy glory, and of thy name, which he hath made known to us for our comprehension. Do thou thyself even now look down, through him, upon this thy flock; and deliver it from all ignorance and wicked practices; and grant that we may fear thee in earnest, and love thee with affection, and have a due reverence of thy glory. Be gracious and merciful to them, and hearken to them when they pray unto thee, and keep them, that they may be immovable, blameless, and irreproachable; that they may be holy in body and soul, not having spot or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that they may be complete, and no one among them may be defective or imperfect. Thou powerful Defender, who dost not accept persons, be thou the assister of this thy people, which thou hast redeemed with the precious blood of thy Christ; be thou their protector, helper, provider, and guardian, their strong wall of defence, their bulwark and security; because none can snatch out of thy hand; for there is no other God like thee; because on thee is our reliance. Sanctify them through thy truth; for thy word is truth. Thou who doest nothing for favor, thou whom none can deceive, deliver them from every disease and every malady, and every offence, every injury and deceit, from fear of the enemy, from the dart that flieth in the day, from the mischief that walketh about in darkness; and account them worthy of that everlasting life which is in Christ, thine only-begotten Son, our God and Saviour; through whom glory and worship be to thee, in the Holy Spirit, now and always, and forever. Amen.
After this, let the Deacon say, Let us attend. And let the Bishop salute the church and say, The peace of God be with you all. And let the people answer, And with thy spirit. And let the Deacon say to all, Salute ye one another with a holy kiss. And let the clergy salute the Bishop; the men of the laity, the men; the women, the women.
Moreover, let the children stand at the reading-desk; and let another Deacon stand by them, that they may not be disorderly. And let other Deacons walk about, and watch the men and women, that no tumult be made, and that no one nod, or whisper, or slumber; and let the Deacons stand at the doors of the men, and the Subdeacons at those of the women; that no one go out, nor a door be opened, although it be for one of the faithful, at the time of the oblation. And let one of the Subdeacons bring water to wash the hands of the Priests; which is a symbol of the purity of those souls that are devoted to God.
Chapter XII – A constitution of James, the brother of John, the son of Zebedee
Now I also, James, the brother of John, the son of Zebedee, say that the Deacon shall immediately proclaim, Let none of the Catechumens stay here; let none of the Hearers; let none of the Unbelievers; let none of the Heterodox. Ye who have prayed the first prayer, draw near. Let the mothers receive their children. Let no one have anything against anyone; let no one come in hypocrisy; let us stand upright before the Lord with fear and trembling, to offer.
When this is done, let the Deacons bring the gifts to the Bishop at the altar; and let the Presbyters stand on his right hand and on his left, as disciples stand before their master. But let two of the Deacons, on each side of the altar, hold a fan, made of thin membranes, or of the feathers of a peacock, or of fine cloth, and let them silently drive away the small animals that fly about, that so they may not come near to the cups.
Let now the High Priest, simultaneously with the Priests, pray by himself. And let him put on his shining garments, and stand at the altar, and make the sign of the cross upon his forehead, with his hand, before all the people, and say,
The grace of Almighty God, and the love of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the fellowship of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. And let all with one voice say, And with thy spirit.
The high priest, Lift up your mind.
All the people, We lift it up unto the Lord.
The high priest, Let us give thanks to the Lord.
All the people, It is meet and right so to do.
Then let the High Priest say, is very meet and right before all things to sing a hymn to thee, who art the true God, who art before all beings; from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named; who only art unbegotten, and without beginning, independent, and without a master; who needest nothing; who art the bestower of everything that is good; who art above all cause and generation; who art always and immutably the same; from whom, as from a grand starting place, all things came into being. For thou art eternal knowledge, everlasting sight, unbegotten hearing, untaught wisdom, the first by nature, and the law to being, and superior to all number; who didst bring all things out of nothing into being, through thine only-begotten Son, but didst before all ages, by thy will, thy power, and thy goodness, without any intermediate agent beget him, the only-begotten Son, God the Word, the living Wisdom, the First-born of every creature, the Angel of thy great Council; and thy high priest, but the king and Lord of every intellectual and sensible nature; who was before all things, and through whom were all things.
Creation
For thou, eternal God, didst through him make all things, and through him thou dost account the universe worthy of thy suitable providence; for by the very same by whom thou didst bestow being, thou didst also bestow well- being; thou, the God and Father of thine only-begotten Son; who by him didst make, before all things, the cherubim and the seraphim, the aeons and hosts, the powers and authorities, the principalities and thrones, the archangels and angels; and, after all these, didst by him make this visible world, and all things that are therein. For thou art He who didst frame the heaven as an arch, and stretch it out like the covering of a tent, and didst found the earth upon nothing, by thy mere will; who didst fix the firmament, and prepare the night and the day; who didst bring the light out of thy treasures, and on its departure didst bring on darkness, for the rest of the living creatures that move up and down in the world; who didst appoint the sun in heaven to rule over the day, and the moon to rule over the night; and didst inscribe in heaven the choir of stars to praise thy glorious majesty; who didst make the water for drink, and for cleansing; the air in which we live, for respiration, and for the emission of voice, by means of the tongue, which striketh the air, and for hearing, which cooperateth under the impulse of the air, so that, receiving, it perceiveth the speech that falleth upon it; who madest fire for our consolation in darkness, for the supply of our want, and that by it we might be warmed and enlightened; who didst separate the great sea from the land, and didst render the former navigable, and the latter fit for walking; and didst replenish the former with living creatures, small and great, and fill the latter with tame ones and with wild, didst adorn it with various plants, and crown it with herbs, and beautify it with flowers, and enrich it with seeds; who didst ordain the great deep, bestow upon it a mighty amplitude; seas of salt water heaped together, yet didst bound it with barriers of the smallest sand; who sometimes dost raise it to the height of mountains by the winds, and sometimes dost smoothe it into a plain; sometimes dost enrage it into a tempest, and sometimes dost still it with a calm, that it may be easy to seafaring men in their voyages; who didst encompass this world, which was made by thee through Christ, with rivers, and water it with currents, and moisten it with springs that never fail, and didst bind it round with mountains, for the immovable and secure consistence of the earth. For thou hast replenished thy world, and adorned it with sweet-smelling and with healing herbs, with many and various living creatures, strong and weak, for food and for labor, tame and wild, with the noises of creeping things, the sounds of various sorts of flying creatures, with the circuits of the years, the numbers of months and days, the order of the seasons, the courses of the rainy clouds, for the production of the fruits, and the support of living creatures. Thou hast also appointed the station of the winds, which blow when commanded by thee, and the multitude of the plants and herbs.
Adam and Eve in Paradise
And thou hast not only created the world, but hast also made man for a citizen of the world, exhibiting him as its ornament. For thou didst say to thy Wisdom, Let us make man according to our image, and according to our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowls of the heaven. Wherefore, also, thou hast made him of an immortal soul, and of a body liable to dissolution; the former out of nothing, the latter out of the four elements; and hast given him, as to his soul, rational discernment, the distinction of piety and impiety, the observing of right and wrong; and, as to his body, thou hast granted him five senses, and progressive motion. For thou, God Almighty, didst, by thy Christ, plant a paradise in Eden, in the East, adorned with various plants, suitable for food, and didst introduce man into it, as into a rich banquet; and, when thou madest him, thou gavest him a law, implanted within him, that so he might have at home, and within himself, the seeds of the knowledge of God. Moreover, when thou hadst brought him into the delightful paradise, thou allowedst him the privilege of enjoying all things, only forbidding the tasting of one tree, in hope of greater blessings; that, in case he would keep that command, he might receive the reward of it, which was immortality: but when he neglected that command, and tasted of the forbidden fruit, by the seduction of the serpent, and the counsel of his wife, thou didst justly cast him out of paradise; yet, of thy goodness, thou didst not overlook him, nor suffer him to perish utterly; for he was thy creature. But thou didst subject to him the whole creation, and didst grant him liberty to procure himself food by his own sweat and labors; while thou didst cause all the fruits of the earth to spring up, to grow, and to ripen. And when thou hadst laid him asleep for a little while, thou didst with an oath call him to a restoration, didst loose the bond of death, and promise him life after the resurrection. And not this only, but when thou hadst increased his posterity to an innumerable multitude, those that continued with thee thou didst glorify, and those that apostatized from thee thou didst punish; and while thou didst accept the sacrifice of Abel, as of a holy person, thou didst reject the gift of Cain, the murderer of his brother, as of one that was abhorred. And, besides these, thou didst accept of Seth and Enos, and didst translate Enoch. For thou art the Creator of men, and the giver of life, and the supplier of want, and the giver of laws, and the rewarder of those that observe them, and the avenger of those that transgress them.
Old Testament; Salvation of Righteous, Destruction of Wicked
who didst bring the great flood upon the world, by reason of the multitude of the ungodly, and didst deliver righteous Noah from that flood by an ark, with eight souls, the end of the foregoing generations, and the beginning of those that were to come; who didst kindle a fearful fire against the five cities of Sodom, and didst turn a fruitful land into a salt lake, for the wickedness of them that dwelt therein, but didst snatch holy Lot out of the conflagration. Thou art He who didst deliver Abraham from the impiety of his forefathers, and didst appoint him to be the heir of the world, and didst cause thy Christ to appear to him; who didst ordain Melchisedek a high priest for thy worship; who didst render thy patient servant Job the conqueror of that serpent who is the patron of wickedness; who madest Isaac the son of promise, and Jacob the father of twelve sons; and didst increase his posterity to a multitude, and bring him into Egypt with seventy-five souls.
Thou, Lord, didst not overlook Joseph, but didst grant him, as a reward of his chastity for thy sake, the government over the Egyptians. Thou, Lord, didst not overlook the Hebrews when they were afflicted by the Egyptians, but didst deliver them, on account of the promises made to their fathers, and didst punish the Egyptians. And when men had corrupted the law of nature, and had sometimes esteemed the creation the effect of chance, and sometimes honored it more than they ought, and equalled it to the God of the universe, thou didst not suffer them to go astray, but didst raise up thy servant Moses, and by him didst give the written law, for the assistance of the law of nature, and didst show that the creation was thy work, and didst banish away the error of polytheism. Thou didst adorn Aaron and his posterity with the priesthood, and didst punish the Hebrews when they sinned, and receive them again when they returned to thee. Thou didst punish the Egyptians with a judgment of ten plagues, and didst divide the sea, and bring the Israelites through it, and drown and destroy the Egyptians, who pursued them. Thou didst sweeten the bitter water with wood. Thou didst bring water out of the hard rock. Thou didst rain manna from heaven, and quails, for food, out of the air. Thou didst afford them a pillar of fire by night to give them light, and a pillar of a cloud by day, to overshadow them from the heat. Thou didst declare Joshua to be the general of the army, and by him didst overthrow the seven nations of Canaan. Thou didst divide the Jordan, and dry up the rivers of Etham. Thou didst over throw walls without instruments, or the hand of man.
Heavenly Hosts and Choirs
For all these things, glory be to thee, Lord Almighty. Thee do the innumerable hosts of angels, archangels, thrones, dominions, principalities, authorities, and powers, thine everlasting armies, adore. The cherubim, and the six-winged seraphim, with twain covering their feet, with twain their heads, and with twain flying, say, together with thousand thousands of archangels, and ten thousand times ten thousand of angels, incessantly, and with constant and loud voices, and let all the people say it with them, Holy, holy, holy. Lord of hosts; heaven and earth are full of his glory. Be thou blessed forever. Amen.
And afterwards let the High Priest say, For thou art truly holy, and most holy, the highest and most highly exalted forever.
Life of Jesus Christ
Holy also is thine only-begotten Son, our Lord and God, Jesus Christ, who in all things ministered to his God and Father, both in thy various creations and in thy suitable providence, and hath not overlooked lost mankind. But after the law of nature, after the admonitions in the positive law, after the prophetical reproofs, and the attentions of the angels, when men had perverted both the positive law and that of nature, and had cast out of their mind the memory of the flood, the burning of Sodom, the plagues of the Egyptians, and the slaughters of the inhabitants of Palestine, and were just ready to perish universally, after an unparalleled manner, he himself was pleased by thy good will to become man, who was man’s Creator; to be under the laws, who was the legislator; to be a sacrifice, who was a High Priest; to be a sheep, who was the shepherd: and he appeased thee, his God and Father, and reconciled thee to the world, and freed all men from the impending wrath, being born of a virgin, and made in flesh, God the Word, the beloved Son, the First-born of the whole creation, according to the prophecies which were foretold concerning him by himself, of the seed of David and Abraham, of the tribe of Judah. And in the womb of a virgin He was made, who formed all mankind that are born into the world. He took flesh, who was without flesh. He who was begotten before time, was born in time. He lived holily, and taught according to the law. He drove away every sickness and every disease from men, and wrought signs and wonders among the people; and He was partaker of meat, and drink, and sleep, who nourisheth all that are in need of food, and filleth every living creature with goodness. He manifested his name to those that knew him not. He banished ignorance; he revived piety; he fulfilled thy will. He finished the work which thou gavest him to do.
Jesus Christ’s Atonement
And when he had set all these things right, he was seized by the hands of the ungodly, of the high priests and priests, falsely so called, and of the disobedient people, through the treachery of him who was possessed with wickedness as with a confirmed disease. He suffered manythings from them, and endured every ignominy, by thy permission. He was delivered to Pilate, the governor; and He who was the Judge, was judged; and He who was the Saviour, was condemned. He who was impassible, was nailed to the cross; and He who was by nature immortal, died; and He who was the Giver of life, was buried: that he might deliver from suffering and death those for whose sake he came, and might break the bonds of the devil, and deliver mankind from his deceit. He rose from the dead, the third day; and when he had continued with his disciples forty days, he was taken up into the heavens, and is seated at the right hand of thee, who art his God and Father.
Christ’s Institution of the Eucharist
Being mindful, therefore, of those things which he endured for our sake, we give thee thanks, Almighty God, not in such a manner as we ought, but as we are able, and fulfil his constitution. For in the same night in which he was betrayed, he took bread in his holy and undefiled hands; and, looking up to Thee, his God and Father, he brake it, and gave it to his disciples, saying, This is the mystery of the new covenant. Take of it, and eat. This is my body, which is broken for many for the remission of sins. In like manner also he took the cup, and mixed it of wine and water, and sanctified it, and delivered it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; for this is my blood which is shed for many, for the remission of sins. Do this in remembrance of me. For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do show forth my death till I come.
This Eucharist
Being mindful, therefore, of his Passion, and death, and resurrection from the dead, and return into the heavens, and his future second advent, in which he is to come with glory and power to judge the living and the dead, and to recompense to everyone according to his works, we offer to thee, our King and our God, according to his constitution, this bread and this cup; giving thee thanks, through him, that thou hast thought us worthy to stand before thee, and to sacrifice; and we beseech thee to look propitiously upon these gifts, which are here set before thee, thou God, who needest none of our offerings, and to accept them to the honor of thy Christ, and send down thy Holy Spirit, the Witness of the sufferings of the Lord Jesus, that he may show this bread to be the body of thy Christ, and the cup to be the blood of thy Christ, in order that those who are partakers thereof may be strengthened for piety, may obtain the remission of their sins, may be delivered from the devil and his deceit, may be filled with the Holy Ghost, may be made worthy of thy Christ, and may obtain eternal life upon thy reconciliation to them, Lord Almighty.
We further pray unto thee, Lord, for thy holy church, spread from one end of the world to another, which thou hast purchased with the precious blood of thy Christ; that thou wilt preserve it unshaken, and free from disturbance, until the end of the world; and forevery episcopate that rightly divideth the word of truth.
We further implore thee, for me, who am nothing, who offer to thee; for the whole presbytery, for the deacons, and all the clergy, that thou wilt make them wise, and replenish them with the Holy Spirit.
We further implore thee, Lord, for the king, and all in authority, and for the whole army; that they may be peaceable towards us, that so, leading the whole time of our life in quietness and unanimity, we may glorify thee, through Jesus Christ, who is our hope.
We further offer to thee, also, for all those holy persons who have pleased thee from the beginning of the world, patriarchs, prophets, righteous men, apostles, martyrs, confessors, bishops, presbyters, deacons, subdeacons, readers, singers, virgins, widows, lay persons, and all whose names thou thyself knowest.
We further offer to thee, for this people, that thou wilt render them to the praise of thy Christ, a royal priesthood, a holy nation; for those that are in virginity and purity; for the widows of the church; for those persons who are in honorable marriage and child-bearing; and for the infants of thy people; that thou wilt cast none of us away.
We further beseech thee, also, for this city and its inhabitants; for those that are sick; for those that are in bitter servitude; for those that are in banishment; for those that are in prison; for those that travel by water or by land; that thou, the Helper and Assister of all men, wilt be their Supporter.
We further implore thee, also, for those that hate us and persecute us for thy name’s sake; for those that are without, and wander out of the way; that thou wilt convert them to goodness, and pacify their anger.
We further implore thee, also, for the catechumens of the church; and for those that are vexed by the adversary; and for our brethren, the penitents: that thou wilt perfect the first in the faith; that thou wilt deliver the second from the energy of the evil one; and that thou wilt accept the repentance of the last, and forgive both them and us our offences.
We further offer to thee, also, for the good temperature of the air, and the fertility of the fruits; that so, partaking perpetually of the good things derived from thee, we may praise thee without ceasing, who givest food to all flesh.
We further implore thee, also, for those who are absent on a just cause; that thou wilt keep us all in piety, and gather us together in the kingdom of the Anointed of thee, the God of all nature, perceptible and conceivable, our King; that thou wilt keep us immovable, blameless, irreproachable. For to thee belong all glory, worship, and thanksgiving, honor and adoration, to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, both now and always, and foreverlasting and endless ages.
And let all the people say, Amen. And let the Bishop say, The peace of God be with you all. And let all the people say, And with thy spirit.
And let the Deacon proclaim again,
XIII – The Bidding Prayer for the Faithful, after the divine Oblation
Let us still further beseech God, through his Christ, for the gift which is offered to the Lord God, that the good God may accept it, through the mediation of his Christ, upon his heavenly altar, for a sweet-smelling savor.
Let us pray for this church and people. Let us pray for every Episcopate, for every Presbytery, for all the Deacons and Ministers in Christ, for the whole body of the church, that the Lord may keep and preserve them all.
Let us pray for kings, and those who are in authority, that they may be peaceable towards us, that so we may have and lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.
Let us be mindful of the holy martyrs, that we may be thought worthy to be partakers of their trial.
Let us pray for those that are departed in the faith.
Let us pray for the good temperature of the air, and the perfect maturity of the fruits.
Let us pray for those that are newly enlightened, that they may all be strengthened in the faith.
Let us pray for one another. Raise us up, God, in thy grace.
Let us stand up, and dedicate ourselves to God, through his Christ.
And let the Bishop say, God, who art great, and whose name is great, who art great in counsel, and mighty in works, the God and Father of thy holy child Jesus, our Saviour; look upon us, and upon this thy flock, which thou hast chosen through him, to the glory of thy name; and sanctify our body and our soul, and grant us the power to be made pure from all filthiness of flesh and spirit, and to obtain the good things laid up for us, and account no one of us unworthy; but be thou our Comforter, Helper, and Protector, through thy Christ, with whom glory, honor, praise, doxology, and thanksgiving be to thee, and to the Holy Spirit, forever.
Amen.
And after all have said Amen, let the Deacon say, Let us attend. And let the Bishop speak thus to the people, Holy things for holy persons. And let the people answer, There is One that is holy; there is one Lord, Jesus Christ, blessed forever, to the glory of God the Father. Amen. Glory to God in the highest, and on earth, peace; good will among men. Hosanna to the Son of David. Blessed be he God the Lord that cometh in the name of the Lord, and hath appeared to us. Hosanna in the highest.
And after that, let the Bishop partake; then the Presbyters, and the Deacons and Subdeacons, and the Readers, and the Singers, and the Ascetics; and, of the women, the Deaconesses, and the Virgins, and the Widows; afterwards the children, and then all the people in order, with reverence and godly fear, without tumult.
And let the Bishop give the oblation, saying, The body of Christ; and let him that receiveth it say, Amen. And let the Deacon take the cup, and when he giveth it, let him say, The blood of Christ, the cup of life; and let him that drinketh say, Amen. And let the thirty-third Psalm be said, while all the rest are partaking.
Psalm 33 (New King James Version)
The Sovereignty of the LORD in Creation and History
1 Rejoice in the LORD, O you righteous!
For praise from the upright is beautiful.
2 Praise the LORD with the harp;
Make melody to Him with an instrument of ten strings.
3 Sing to Him a new song;
Play skillfully with a shout of joy.
4 For the word of the LORD is right,
And all His work is done in truth.
5 He loves righteousness and justice;
The earth is full of the goodness of the LORD.
6 By the word of the LORD the heavens were made,
And all the host of them by the breath of His mouth.
7 He gathers the waters of the sea together as a heap;[a]
He lays up the deep in storehouses.
8 Let all the earth fear the LORD;
Let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him.
9 For He spoke, and it was done;
He commanded, and it stood fast.
10 The LORD brings the counsel of the nations to nothing;
He makes the plans of the peoples of no effect.
11 The counsel of the LORD stands forever,
The plans of His heart to all generations.
12 Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD,
The people He has chosen as His own inheritance.
13 The LORD looks from heaven;
He sees all the sons of men.
14 From the place of His dwelling He looks
On all the inhabitants of the earth;
15 He fashions their hearts individually;
He considers all their works.
16 No king is saved by the multitude of an army;
A mighty man is not delivered by great strength.
17 A horse is a vain hope for safety;
Neither shall it deliver any by its great strength.
18 Behold, the eye of the LORD is on those who fear Him,
On those who hope in His mercy,
19 To deliver their soul from death,
And to keep them alive in famine.
20 Our soul waits for the LORD;
He is our help and our shield.
21 For our heart shall rejoice in Him,
Because we have trusted in His holy name.
22 Let Your mercy, O LORD, be upon us,
Just as we hope in You.
And when all, both men and women, have communicated, let the deacons take what remains and carry it into the sacristy.
And when all, both men and women, have partaken, let the Deacons carry what remaineth into the private apartments of the church.
And when the Singer hath done, let the Deacon say,
Chapter XIV – The Bidding Prayer after the Participation
Having partaken of the precious body and of the precious blood of Christ, let us give thanks to Him who hath thought us worthy to partake of these his holy mysteries; and let us implore him that it may not be to us for condemnation, but for salvation, to the advantage of soul and body, to the preservation of piety, to the remission of sins, and to the life of the world to come. Let us arise. In the grace of Christ let us dedicate ourselves to God, to the only unbegotten God, and to his Christ.
And let the Bishop give thanks:
Chapter XV – Form of Prayer after the Participation
Lord God Almighty, the Father of thy Christ, thy blessed Son, who hearest those that call upon thee with uprightness, who also knowest the supplications of those that are silent; we thank thee that thou hast accounted us worthy to partake of thy holy mysteries, which thou hast bestowed upon us, for the entire confirmation of those things which we have rightly known, for the preservation of piety, for the remission of our offences; because the name of thy Christ is called upon us, and we are joined to thee.
Thou that hast separated us from the communion of the ungodly, unite us with those that are consecrated to thee in holiness; confirm us in the truth by the assistance of thy Holy Spirit. Reveal to us the things of which we are ignorant; supply to us the things in which we are defective; confirm us in the things which we already know. Preserve the priests blameless in thy worship; keep the kings in peace, and the rulers in righteousness; the air, in a good temperature; the fruits, in fertility; the world, in an all-powerful Providence. Pacify the warring nations. Convert those that are gone astray. Sanctify thy people. Keep those that are in virginity. Preserve those in fidelity that are in marriage. Strengthen those that are in purity. Bring to maturity the little ones; confirm the newly perfected; instruct the catechumens, and render them worthy of admission; and gather us all together into thy kingdom of heaven, through Jesus Christ our Lord; with whom glory, honor, and worship, be to thee, and to the Holy Spirit, forever. Amen.
And let the Deacon say, Bow down to God, through his Christ, and receive the blessing.
And let the Bishop add this prayer, and say, God Almighty, the true God, to whom nothing can be compared; who art everywhere, and present in all things, and art in nothing as one of the things themselves; who art not bounded by place, nor grown old by time; who art not terminated by ages, nor deceived by words; who art not subject to generation, and needest no guard; who art above all corruption, free from all change, and invariable by nature; who dwellest in light inaccessible; who by nature art invisible, and yet art known to all reasonable natures who seek thee with a good mind; who art discovered by those that seek after thee with a good mind; the God of Israel, thy people which truly see, and which have believed in Christ. Be gracious to me, and hear me, for thy name’s sake; and bless those that bow down their necks to thee, and grant them the petitions of their hearts, which are for their good, and reject no one of them from thy kingdom. But sanctify, watch over, protect, and assist them; deliver them from the adversary, and every enemy; keep their houses, and guard their coming in and their going out. For to thee belongeth the glory, praise, majesty, worship, and adoration, and to thy Son Jesus, thy Christ, our Lord and God and King, and to the Holy Spirit, now, and always, and forever. Amen.
And the Deacon shall say, Depart in peace.
These constitutions concerning this mystical worship, we the Apostles ordain for you the Bishops, Priests, and Deacons.
(End Of Eucharist)
Chapter XVI – Concerning the ordination of Presbyters, a constitution of John who was beloved by the Lord
Concerning the ordination of Presbyters, I, who was beloved by the Lord, make this constitution for you the Bishops:
When thou ordainest a Presbyter, Bishop, lay thy hand upon his head, in the presence of the Presbyters and Deacons, and pray, saying,
Lord Almighty, our God, who hast created all things by Christ, and dost in like manner take care of the universe by him; for he who had power to make different creatures, hath also power to take care of them, according to their different natures. On which account, God, thou takest care of immortal beings by preservation alone, but of those that are mortal, by succession; of the soul, by the provision of laws; of the body, by the supply of its wants. Do thou thyself, therefore, even now look upon thy holy church, aNd increase it, and multiply those that preside in it, and grant them power, that they may labor in word and deed for the edification of thy people. Do thou thyself also now look upon this thy servant, who is put into the Presbytery by the vote and determination of the whole clergy. And do thou replenish him with the spirit of grace and counsel, to assist and govern thy people with a pure heart, in the same manner in which thou didst look upon thy chosen people, and didst command Moses to choose elders, whom thou didst fill with thy Spirit. And now, Lord, bestow and preserve in us the spirit of thy grace, that this person, being filled with the gifts of healing and the word of teaching, may in meekness instruct thy people, and sincerely serve thee with a pure mind and a willing soul; and may fully discharge the holy ministrations for thy people, through thy Christ, with whom glory, honor, and worship, be to thee and to the Holy Spirit forever. Amen.
Chapter XVII – Concerning the ordination of Deacons, a constitution of Philip
Concerning the ordination of Deacons, I Philip make this constitution: Thou shalt ordain a Deacon, Bishop, by laying thy hands upon him in the presence of the whole Presbytery and of the Deacons, and shalt pray, saying,
Chapter XVIII – Form of Prayer for the ordination of a Deacon
God, the Almighty, the true and faithful, who art rich unto all that call upon thee in truth; who art fearful in counsels, and wise in understanding; who art powerful and great; hear our prayer, Lord, and let thine ears receive our supplication, and cause the light of thy countenance to shine upon this thy servant, who is appointed for thee to the office of a Deacon; and replenish him with thy Holy Spirit and with power, as thou didst replenish Stephen, who was thy martyr, and follower of the sufferings of thy Christ. And grant that he may discharge acceptably the ministration of a Deacon, steadily, unblamably, and without reproof, and be accounted worthy of a higher degree; through the mediation of thine only-begotten Son, with whom glory, honor, and worship, be to thee, and to the Holy Spirit, forever. Amen.
Chapter XIX – Concerning a Deaconess, a constitution of Bartholomew
Concerning a Deaconess, I Bartholomew make this constitution: Bishop, thou shalt lay thy hands upon her in the presence of the Presbytery, and of the Deacons and Deaconesses; and shalt say,
Chapter XX – Form of Prayer for the ordination of a Deaconess
Eternal God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Creator man and woman; who didst with the Spirit replenish Miriam, and Deborah, and Anna, and Huldah; who didst not disdain that thine only-begotten Son should be born of a woman; who also, in the tabernacle of the testimony and in the temple, didst ordain women to be keepers of thy holy gates; do thou thyself also now look upon this thy handmaid, appointed to the office of a Deaconess; and grant her the Holy Spirit, and cleanse her from all filthiness of flesh and spirit; that she may worthily discharge the work which is committed to her, unto thy glory, and the praise of thy Christ; with whom glory and adoration be to thee, and to the Holy Spirit, forever. Amen.
Chapter XXI – Concerning Subdeacons, a constitution of Thomas
Concerning Subdeacons, I Thomas make this constitution for you the Bishops: When thou dost ordain a Subdeacon, Bishop, thou shalt lay thy hands upon him, and say,
Lord God, the Creator of heaven and earth, and of all things that are therein; who also, in the tabernacle of the testimony, didst appoint overseers and keepers of thy holy vessels; do thou thyself also now look upon this thy servant, appointed a Sub- deacon; and grant him the Holy Spirit, that he may worthily handle the vessels consecrated to thy service, and do thy will always, through thy Christ, with whom glory, honor, and worship, be to thee, and to the Holy Spirit, forever. Amen.
Chapter XXII – Concerning Readers, a constitution of Matthew
Concerning Readers, I Matthew, who am also Levi, formerly a publican, make this constitution: Ordain a Reader by laying thy hands upon him, and pray to God, saying,
Eternal God, who art plenteous in mercy and compassions; who hast made manifest the constitution of the world by the things that are effectuated, and keepest the number of thine elect; do thou thyself also now look upon thy servant, intrusted to read thy Holy Scriptures to thy people; and grant to him that Holy Spirit which was in the prophets. Thou who didst instruct Ezra thy servant to read thy laws to thy people, now also instruct thy servant, in answer to our prayers; and grant that he may without blame perform the work committed to him, and be proved worthy of a higher degree, through Christ; with whom glory and worship be to thee, and to the Holy Spirit, forever. Amen.
Chapter XXIII – Concerning Confessors, a constitution of James the son of Alpheus
And I James, the son of Alpheus, make this constitution concerning Confessors: A Confessor is not appointed. For this is a matter of voluntariness and of patience; and he is worthy of great honor, as having confessed the name of God and of his Christ before nations and kings. If, however, there be occasion, he is to be ordained either a Bishop, or Presbyter, or Deacon. But if anyone of the Confessors, who is not ordained, snatch to himself any such dignity, on account of his confession, let this person be deposed and rejected; for he is not what he pretendeth to be, since he hath denied the constitution of Christ, and is worse than an infidel.
Chapter XXIV – The same apostle’s constitution concerning Virgins
Concerning Virgins, I, the same apostle, make this constitution: A Virgin is not appointed; for we have no such command from the Lord. The prize pertaineth to a voluntary trial, not for the reproach of marriage, but on account of leisure and piety.
Chapter XXV – The constitution of Lebbeus, who was surnamed Thaddeus, concerning Widows
And I Lebbeus, surnamed Thaddeus, make this constitution concerning Widows: A Widow is not appointed; yet if she hath lost her husband a long time, and hath lived soberly and unblamably, and hath taken extraordinary care of her family, as Judith and Anna, those women of great reputation, let her be enrolled in the order of Widows. But if she hath lately lost her companion, let her not be confided in, but let her youth be judged of by time; for the passions sometimes grow aged with persons, if they be not restrained by a better bridle.
Chapter XXVI – The same apostle concerning an Exorcist
Concerning an Exorcist, I, the same apostle, make this constitution: An Exorcist is not appointed; for the prize pertaineth to voluntary goodness and the grace of God, through Christ, by the influence of the Holy Spirit. For he who hath received the gift of healing is declared by revelation from God, the grace that is in him being manifest to all. But if there be need of him for a Bishop, or Presbyter, or Deacon, he is appointed accordingly.
Chapter XXVII – Simon the Cananite, concerning the number necessary for the ordination of a Bishop
And I, Simon the Cananite, make this constitution determining by how many a Bishop ought to be ordained: Let a Bishop be ordained by three Bishops, or by two. But if anyone be ordained by one Bishop, let him be deposed, both himself and the Bishop that ordained him. If, however, there be a necessity that he have only one to ordain him, because more Bishops cannot come together, as in time of persecution, or for other similar cause, let him bring the suffrage of permission from more Bishops.
Chapter XXVIII – The same apostle’s canons concerning Bishops, Presbyters, Deacons, and the rest of the clergy
In respect to canons, I, the same apostle, make this constitution: A Bishop blesseth, but doth not receive the blessing. He layeth on hands, ordaineth, offereth, receiveth the blessing from Bishops, but by no means from Presbyters. A Bishop deposeth any clerical person deserving to be deposed, except a Bishop; for of himself he hath not power to do that.
A Presbyter blesseth, but doth not receive the blessing; yet he receiveth the blessing from the Bishop, or from a fellow-Presbyter. In like manner he giveth it to a fellow-Presbyter. He layeth on hands, but doth not ordain. He doth not depose; yet he suspendeth from communion those that are under him, if they be liable to such a punishment.
A Deacon doth not bless, doth not give the blessing, but receiveth it from the Bishop and the Presbyter. He doth not baptize; he doth not offer: but, when a Bishop or a Presbyter hath offered, he distributeth to the people, not as a Priest, but as one that ministereth to the Priests. But it is not lawful for anyone of the other clergy to do the work of a Deacon.
A Deaconess doth not bless, nor perform anything belonging to the office of Presbyters or Deacons; but is only to keep the doors, and to minister to the Presbyters in the baptizing of women, on account of decency.
A Deacon suspendeth a Subdeacon, a Reader, a Singer, or a Deaconess, if there be any occasion, in the absence of a Presbyter.
It is not lawful for a Subdeacon to suspend anyone, whether a clerical or a lay person; nor for a Reader, nor for a Singer, nor for a Deaconess; for they are only attendants, ministering to the Deacons.
Chapter XXIX – Concerning the blessing of water and of oil, a constitution of Matthias
Concerning the water and the oil, I, Matthias, make this constitution: Let the Bishop bless the water or the oil. If, however, he be not present, let the Presbyter bless it; the Deacon standing by. But when the Bishop is present, let the Presbyter and the Deacon stand by, and let him say thus:
Lord of hosts, the God of powers, the Creator of the waters, and the Supplier of oil; who art compassionate, and a Lover of mankind; who hast given water for drink and for cleansing, and oil to give man a cheerful and joyous countenance; do thou thyself also now sanctify this water and this oil, through thy Christ, in the name of him or her that hath offered them; and grant them a power to restore health, to drive away diseases, to banish demons, and to disperse all snares, through Christ, our hope; with whom glory, honor, and worship, be to thee, and to the Holy Spirit, forever. Amen.
XXX – The same apostle’s constitution concerning first-fruits and tithes
Concerning first-fruits and tithes, I, the same apostle, further enjoin, that all first-fruits be brought to the Bishop, and to the Presbyters, and to the Deacons, for their maintenance; but let all the tithe be for the maintenance of the rest of the clergy, and of the virgins and widows, and of those under the trial of poverty. For the first-fruits belong to the Priests, and to the Deacons that minister to them.
XXXI – The same apostle’s constitution concerning the remaining oblations
Concerning the residue, I, the same apostle, make this constitution: Those blessed oblations which remain at the Mysteries, let the Deacons distribute among the clergy, according to the mind of the Bishop, or of the Presbyters: to a Bishop, four parts; to a Presbyter, three parts; to a Deacon, two parts; and to the rest, the Sub- deacons, or Readers, or Singers, or Deaconesses, one part. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God, that every one be honored according to his dignity; for the church is the school, not of confusion, but of good order.
Chapter XXXII – Various canons of Paul the Apostle, concerning those that present themselves to be baptized; whom we are to receive, and whom to reject
And I, Paul, the least of the Apostles, make the following constitutions for you, the Bishops, and Presbyters, and Deacons, in respect to canons: Let those that are beginning to come to the mystery of godliness be brought by the Deacons to the Bishop, or to the Presbyters; and let them be examined as to the causes of their coming to the word of the Lord. And let those that bring them inquire carefully about their character, and give them their testimony. Let their habits and their life be inquired into; and whether they are servants or free persons. And if anyone be a servant, let him be asked who is his master. If he be servant to one of the faithful, let his master be asked if he can give him a good character. If he cannot, let him be rejected, until he show himself to his master to be worthy. But if he give him a good character, let him be admitted. If he be a servant to a heathen, let him be taught to please his master, that the Word be not blasphemed. If, then, he have a wife, or a woman have a husband, let them be taught to be content with each other. But if they be unmarried, let them learn not to commit fornication, but to enter into lawful marriage. But if his master be one of the faithful, and know that he is guilty of fornication, and yet do not give to him a wife, or to the woman a husband, let him be suspended.
Moreover, if anyone have a demon, let him indeed be taught piety, but not received into communion before he be cleansed; yet if death be near, let him be received.
If anyone be a maintainer of harlots, let him either leave off to prostitute women, or let him be rejected. If a prostitute come, let her cease from her lewdness, or let her be rejected. If a maker of idols come, let him either desist from his employment, or let him be rejected. If one belonging to the theatre come, whether it be man or woman; or a charioteer, or a dueller, or a racer, or a superintendent of sports, or an Olympic gamester; or one that playeth on the pipe, or on the lute, or on the harp, at those games; or a pantomimic dancing-master; or a keeper of a grog-shop; let them desist, or them be rejected. If a soldier come, let him be taught to do no injustice, to accuse no man falsely, and to be content with his allotted stipend. If he comply, let him be received; but if he refuse, let him be rejected. He that is guilty of sins not to be named, a sodomite, an effeminate person, a magician, an enchanter, an astrologer, a diviner, a user of magic verses, a juggler, a mountebank, one that maketh amulets, one that goeth round with heathenish ceremonies for purification, a soothsayer, a fortune-teller, an observer of palmistry; he that, when he meeteth another, observeth defects of the eyes or of the feet, an observer of birds, or of cats, or of noises, or of symbolical sounds; let these be proved by time, for the wickedness is hard to be washed away. And if they leave off those practices, let them be received; but, if they do not agree to that, let them be rejected.
Let a concubine, who is servant to an unbeliever, and confineth herself to her master alone, be received; but, if she be incontinent with others, let her be rejected. If one of the faithful have a concubine, if she be a bond-servant, let him leave off that way, and marry lawfully. If she be a free woman, let him marry her lawfully. If he do not, let him be rejected.
He that followeth the Gentile customs, or the Jewish fables, either let him reform, or let him be rejected. If anyone follow the sports of the theatre, or hunting with dogs, or horse-races, or combats, either let him desist, or let him be rejected.
Let him who is to be catechized, be catechized three years. But if anyone be diligent, and have a good will in respect to the business, let him be admitted; for it is not the length of time, but the course of life, that is judged.
He that teacheth, although he be one of the laity, yet, if he be skilful in the Word, and grave in his manners, let him teach. For they shall be all taught of God.
Every one of the faithful, whether male or female, when they rise from sleep, before they go to work, when they have washed themselves, let them pray. If, moreover, any catechetical instruction be held, let the faithful person prefer to his work the word of piety.
Let the believer, whether man or woman, treat servants kindly, as we have ordained in the foregoing books, and have taught in our Epistles.
Chapter XXXIII – On what days servants are not to work
I Paul, and I Peter, make this constitution: Let the servants work five days; but on the Sabbath, and on the Lord’s day, let them have leisure to go to church, for the doctrine of piety. We have said that the Sabbath is on account of the creation, but the Lord’s day on account of the resurrection. Let servants rest from their work all the Great Week, and that which followeth it; for the one is in memory of the Passion, and the other of the Resurrection. And there is need of their being instructed who it is that suffered, and rose again; and who it is that permitted him to suffer, and raised him again. Let them have rest from their work on the Ascension, because it was the conclusion of the dispensation by Christ. Let them rest at Pentecost, on account of the coming of the Holy Spirit, which was given to those that believed in Christ. Let them rest on the festival of his Birth; for then the unexpected favor was bestowed on men, that the Word of God, Jesus Christ, was born of the virgin Mary, for the salvation of the world. Let them rest on the festival of the Epiphany; for then there was made a manifestation of the divinity of Christ, the Father bearing him testimony at his baptism; and the Comforter, in the form of a dove, indicating to those who were present, the individual respecting whom the testimony was borne. Let them rest on the days of the Apostles; for they were constituted your teachers in respect to Christ, and have deemed you worthy of the Spirit. Let them rest on the day of Stephen, the first martyr; and on the days of the other holy martyrs, who have esteemed Christ more precious than their own life.
Chapter XXXIV – At what hours, and why, we are to pray
Offer up your prayers at the dawn of day, and at the third hour, and the sixth, and the ninth, and at evening, and at cock-crowing: at the dawn, returning thanks, because the Lord hath sent you light, hath led away the night, and brought on the day; at the third hour, because at that hour the Lord received the sentence of condemnation from Pilate; at the sixth, because at that hour he was crucified; at the ninth, because all things were in commotion at the crucifixion of the Lord, as trembling at the bold attempt of the wicked Jews, and not bearing the injury offered to the Lord; at evening, giving thanks, because he hath given you the night, a season of repose from the daily labors; and at cock-crowing, because that hour bringeth the good news of the coming of the day, for the performance of works requiring the light.
But if it be not possible to go to the church, on account of the unbelievers, thou, Bishop, shalt assemble the faithful in some house, that a godly man may not enter into an assembly of the ungodly. For it is not the place that sanctifieth the man, but the man the place. And if the ungodly possess the place, avoid thou it, because it is profaned by them; for as holy priests sanctify a place, so the profane defile it. If it be not possible to assemble either in the church or in a house, let everyone by himself sing, and read, and pray, or two or three together. For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.
Let not one of the faithful pray with a catechumen; no, not even privately. For it is not reasonable that he who is initiated should be polluted with one not initiated.
Let not one of the godly pray with a heretic; no, not even privately. For what fellowship hath light with darkness?
Let believers, man or woman, connected with servants, withdraw themselves from the illicit intercourse, or be rejected from the church.
Chapter XXXV – A constitution of James, the brother of Christ, concerning Evening Prayer
I James, the brother of Christ according to the flesh, but his servant as the only-begotten God, and one appointed Bishop of Jerusalem by the Lord himself and the apostles, ordain thus:
When it is evening, thou, Bishop, shalt assemble the church; and, after the repetition of the Psalm at the lighting-up of the lights. the Deacon shall bid prayers for the catechumens, the energumens, the persons about to be baptized, and the penitents, as we have before said. But after the dismission of these, the Deacon shall say, So many as are of the faithful, let us pray to the Lord. And after he hath bidden the supplications contained in the first prayer for the faithful, he shall say,
Chapter XXXVI – A bidding Prayer for the Evening
Save us, God, and raise us up by thy Christ.
Let us stand up, and ask for the mercies of the Lord and his compassions; for the angel of peace; for what things are good and profitable; for a Christian departure out of this life; an evening and a night of peace, and free from sin. And let us entreat that the whole course of our life may be unblamable. Let us dedicate ourselves and one another to the living God, through his Christ. And let the Bishop add this prayer, and say,
Chapter XXXVII – A Thanksgiving for the Evening
God, who art without beginning and without end, the Maker of the universe through Christ, and the Provider for it; but, before all, his God and Father; the Lord of the Spirit, and the King of existences conceivable and perceptible; who hast made the day for the works of light, and the night for the refreshment of our infirmity.
For the day is thine; the night also is thine. Thou hast prepared the light and the sun. Do thou thyself now, Lord, thou lover of mankind, and fountain of all good, mercifully accept this our evening thanksgiving. Thou who hast brought us through the length of the day, and hast brought us to the beginning of the night, preserve us by thy Christ; afford us a peaceful evening, and a night free from sin; and account us worthy of everlasting life, by thy Christ; through whom glory, honor, and worship, be to thee in the Holy Spirit, forever. Amen.
And let the Deacon say, Bow down for the laying-on of hands
And let the Bishop say,
God of our fathers, and Lord of mercy, who by thy Wisdom didst form man a rational creature, and beloved of God more than the other beings on earth; and didst give him authority to rule over the earth, and didst ordain, by thy will, rulers and priests; the former for the security of life, the latter for a regular worship; do thou thyself now also look down, Lord Almighty, and cause thy face to shine upon thy people, who bow down the neck of their heart; and bless them by thy Christ; through whom thou hast enlightened us with the light of knowledge, and hast revealed thyself to us; and with whom worthy adoration is due from every rational and holy nature to thee in the Holy Spirit the Comforter, forever. Amen.
And let the Deacon say, Depart in peace.
In like manner in the morning, after the repetition of the morning Psalm, and his dismission of the catechumens, the energumens, the candidates for baptism, and the penitents, and after the usual bidding of prayers (that we may not repeat the same things), let the Deacon add, after the words, Save us, God, and raise us up in thy grace, the following:
Let us beg of the Lord his mercies and his compassions; that this morning, and this day, and all the time of our sojourning, may be peaceful, and without sin; that he will grant us his angel of peace; that our departure out of this life may be a Christian departure; and that God will be merciful and gracious. Let us dedicate ourselves, and one another, to the living God, through his only-begotten.
And let the Bishop offer this prayer, and say,
Chapter XXXVIII – A Thanksgiving for the Morning
God, the God of spirits and of all flesh, who art beyond comparison, and needest nothing; who hast given the sun to rule over the day, and the moon and the stars to rule over the night; do thou thyself also now look upon us with gracious eyes, and receive our morning thanksgivings; and have mercy upon us. For we have not spread out our hands to a strange God; for there is not among us any new God, but thou the eternal God, who art without end; who hast given us our being through Christ, and given us our well-being through him. Do thou thyself also bestow upon us, through him, eternal life; with whom glory, and honor, and worship, be to thee, and to the Holy Spirit, forever. Amen.
And let the Deacon say, Bow down for the laying-on of hands.
And let the Bishop add this prayer, saying,
Chapter XXXIX – A Prayer , with imposition of hands for the Morning
God, who art faithful and true; who hast mercy on thousands and ten thousands of them that love thee; who art the lover of the humble, and the protector of the needy; of whom all things stand in need, for all things are subject to thee; look upon this thy people, who bow down their heads to thee; and bless them with spiritual blessings. Keep them as the apple of an eye. Preserve them in piety and righteousness, and account them worthy of eternal life, in Christ Jesus, thy beloved Son; with whom glory, honor, and worship, be to thee, and to the Holy Spirit, now, and always, and forever. Amen.
And let the Deacon say, Depart in peace.
And when the first-fruits are offered, the Bishop giveth thanks in
this manner:
Chapter XI – Form of Prayer for the First-fruits
We give thanks to thee, Lord Almighty, the Creator of the universe, and its Preserver, through thine only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, for the first-fruits; which are offered to thee, not in such a manner as we ought, but as we are able. For who among men can worthily give thee thanks for those things which thou hast given them to participate? Thou the God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, and of all the saints; who madest all things fruitful by thy Word, and didst command the earth to bring forth various fruits for our rejoicing and our food; who hast given juices to the more dull and sluggish sort of creatures; herbs to them that feed on herbs; and to some, flesh; to others, seeds; but to us, grain, as advantageous and proper food; and many other things; some for our necessities, some for our health, and some for our pleasure. On all these accounts, therefore, thou art worthy of exalted hymns of praise for thy beneficence by Christ; through whom glory, honor, and worship, be to thee, in the Holy Spirit, forever. Amen.
Moreover, concerning those who are at rest in Christ, the Deacon, after he hath bidden the supplications contained in the first prayer for the faithful (that we may not repeat it) , shall add as followeth:
Chapter XLI – Bidding Prayer for those who have fallen asleep
Let us pray for our brethren that are at rest in Christ, that God, the lover of mankind, who hath received the soul of the person departed, may forgive him every sin, voluntary and involuntary; and may be merciful and gracious to him; and give him his lot in the land of the pious, that are sent into the bosom of Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, with all those that have pleased him, and done his will, from the beginning of the world; whence all sorrow, grief, and lamentation, are banished.
Let us arise; and let us dedicate ourselves, and one another, to the eternal God, through that Word which was in the beginning.
And let the Bishop say,
Thou who art by nature immortal, and hast no end of thy being; from whom every creature, whether immortal or mortal, is derived; who didst make man a rational, living creature, the citizen of this world, in his constitution mortal, and didst add the promise of a resurrection; who didst not suffer Enoch and Elias to taste of death; thou, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob; who art the God of them, not as of dead, but as of living persons. For the souls of all men live with thee; and the spirits of the righteous are in thy hand, and no torment can touch them; for they are all sanctified under thy hand. Do thou thyself also now look upon this thy servant, whom thou hast selected and received into another state; and forgive him, if voluntarily or involuntarily he hath sinned; and afford him merciful angels, and place him in the bosom of the patriarchs, and prophets, and apostles, and of all those that have pleased thee from the beginning of the world, where there is no grief, nor sorrow, nor lamentation; but the peaceful region of the godly, the undisturbed land of the upright, and of those that therein see the glory of thy Christ; through whom glory, honor, and worship, thanksgiving and adoration, be to thee in the Holy Spirit, forever. Amen.
And let the Deacon say, Bow down, and receive the blessing.
And let the Bishop give thanks for them, saying as followeth:
Lord, save thy people, and bless thine inheritance, which thou hast purchased with the precious blood of thy Christ. Feed them under thy right hand, and cover them under thy wings; and grant that they may fight the good fight, and finish their course, and keep the faith, firmly, unblamably, and irreproachably, through our Lord Jesus Christ, thy beloved Son; with whom glory, honor, and worship be to thee, in the Holy Spirit, forever. Amen.
Chapter XLI – How and when we ought to celebrate the memory of the faithful departed; and that we ought then to give somewhat out of their goods to the poor
Let the third day of the departed be celebrated with psalms, and lessons, and prayers, on account of him who arose within the space of three days. And let the ninth day be celebrated in remembrance of the living, and of the departed; and the fortieth day, according to the ancient pattern; for so did the people lament Moses, and observe the anniversary in memory of him.
And let alms be given to the poor out of the goods of the person departed, for a memorial of him.
Chapter XLIII – That memorials or mandates do not at all profit those who die wicked
These things we say concerning the pious; for as to the ungodly, thou wilt not benefit such a person at all, if thou give all the world to the poor. For to whom the Deity was an enemy while he was alive, it is certain he will be also when he is departed; for there is no unrighteousness with him. For the Lord is righteous, and hath loved righteousness. And, Behold the man and his work.
Chapter XLIV – Concerning Drunkards
Now when ye are invited to the celebration of the memory of the departed, feast ye with good order and in the fear of God, as disposed to intercede for those that are departed. For since ye are the Presbyters and Deacons of Christ, ye ought always to be sober, both among yourselves and among others; that so ye may be able to warn the unruly. Now the Scripture saith, The men in power are passionate. But let them not drink wine, lest, by drinking, they forget wisdom, and be not able to judge aright. And certainly the Presbyters and the Deacons, after God Almighty and his beloved Son, are rulers of the church. We say this, not that they are not to drink at all; for otherwise it would be to the reproach of what God hath made for cheerfulness; but that they be not disordered with wine. For the Scripture doth not say, Drink not wine. But what saith it? Drink not wine to drunkenness. And again, Thorns spring up in the hand of the drunkard.
Nor do we say this to those only who are of the clergy, but also to every Christian of the laity, upon whom the name of our Lord Jesus Christ is called. For to them also it is said, Who hath woe? Who hath tumult? Who hath contentions and Who hath livid eyes? Who hath wounds without cause? Do not these things belong to those that tarry long at the wine, and that go to seek where there is drinking?
ChapterXLV – Of receiving those that are persecuted for Christ’s sake
Receive ye those that are persecuted on account of the faith, and who flee from city to city, as mindful of the words of the Lord. For knowing that though the spirit be willing, the flesh is weak, they flee away, and prefer the spoiling of their goods, that they may preserve the name of Christ in themselves without denying it. Supply them, therefore, with what they need, and fulfil the Lord’s command.
Chapter XLVI – That everyone ought to remain in that rank in which he is placed, and not seize for himself those offices which are not intrusted to him
Now this we all in common proclaim, that everyone remain in that rank which is appointed him, and transgress not the limits; for they are not ours, but God’s. For saith the Lord, He that heareth you, heareth me; and he that heareth me, heareth Him that sent me. And, He that despiseth you, despiseth me; and he that despiseth me, despiseth Him that sent me. For if those things that are without life observe good order, as the night, the day, the sun, the moon, the stars, the elements, the seasons, the months, the weeks, the days, the hours; and are subservient to the uses appointed them, according to that which is said, Thou hast set them a bound which they shall not pass; and concerning the sea, I have set bounds to it, and have encompassed it with bars and gates; and I said to it, Hitherto shalt thou come, but no further; how much more ought ye not to dare to remove those things which we, according to the will of God, have determined for you? But because many think this a small matter, and venture to confound the orders, and to remove the ordination which belongeth to them severally, snatching to themselves in a stealthy manner dignities which were never given them, and allowing themselves to bestow arbitrarily that authority which they have not themselves, and thereby provoke God to anger (as did the followers of Corah and King Uzziah, who, having no authority, usurped the High Priesthood, without commission from God; and the former were burnt with fire, and the latter was struck with leprosy in his forehead); and exasperate Christ Jesus, who hath made the constitution; and also grieve the Holy Spirit, and make void his testimony; therefore foreknowing the danger that hangeth over those who do such things, and the neglect about the sacrifices and eucharistical offices which will arise from their being impiously offered by those who ought not to offer them; who think the honor of the High Priesthood, which is an imitation of the great High Priest Jesus Christ our king, to be a matter of sport we have found it necessary to give you warning in this matter also; for some are already turned aside after their own vanity.
We say that Moses, the servant of God (to whom God spake face to face, as if a man spake to his friend; to whom he said, I know thee above all men; to whom he spake directly, and not by obscure methods, or dreams, or angels, or enigmas) this person, when he made constitutions and divine laws, distinguished what things were to be performed by the High Priests, what by the Priests, and what by the Levites; distributing to everyone his proper and suitable office in the divine service. And those things which were allotted for the High Priests to do, might not be meddled with by the Priests; and those things which were allotted to the Priests might not be meddled with by the Levites; but the persons of each order observed those ministrations which were written down and appointed for them. And if anyone would meddle beyond the tradition, death was his punishment.
Moreover, the experience of Saul showeth this most plainly, who, thinking that he might offer sacrifice without the Prophet and High Priest Samuel, drew upon himself a sin and a curse without remedy. Nor did even his having anointed him king discourage the Prophet. Besides, God showed the same by a more visible effect in the case of Uzziah, when, without delay, he exacted the punishment due to his transgression; and he that madly coveted after the High Priesthood was rejected even from his kingdom.
As to those things which have happened among us, ye yourselves are not ignorant. For ye know perfectly that those who are by us named Bishops, and Presbyters, and Deacons, were made by prayer and by the laying-on of hands; and that by the difference of the names, is indicated the difference of their employments. For not everyone that will is ordained, as the case was in that spurious and counterfeit Priesthood of the calves under Jeroboam. For if there were no rule, or distinction of orders, it would suffice to perform all the offices under one name. But being taught by the Lord the series of things, we distributed the functions of the High Priesthood to the Bishops, those of the Priesthood to the Presbyters, and the ministration under them both to the Deacons; that the divine worship might be performed in purity.
For it is not lawful for a Deacon to offer the sacrifice, or to baptize, or to give the blessing, either small or great. Nor may a Presbyter perform ordination; for it is not agreeable to holiness to have order overturned. For God is not the author of confusion, that the subordinate persons should arbitrarily assume to themselves the functions belonging to their superiors, forming a new scheme of laws to their own hurt, not knowing that it is hard for men to kick against the pricks. For such as these do not fight against us, nor against the Bishops, but against the universal Bishop, even the High Priest of the Father, Jesus Christ our Lord.
High Priests, Priests, and Levites, were ordained by Moses, the most beloved of God. By our Saviour, we, the thirteen Apostles, were ordained; and by the Apostles, I James, and I Clement, and others with us (that we may not make the catalogue of all those Bishops over again). Moreover, by us all in common were ordained Presbyters, and Deacons, and subdeacons, and Readers.
The most eminent High Priest, therefore, who is so by nature, is Christ the Only-begotten; not having seized that honor for himself, but having been by the Father appointed; who, being made man for our sake, and offering the spiritual sacrifice to his God and Father, before his suffering, gave it to us alone in charge to do this; although there were with us others who had believed in him. But he that believeth is not presently appointed a Priest, nor obtaineth the dignity of the High Priesthood. And after his ascension we offered, according to his constitution, the pure and unbloody sacrifice; and ordained Bishops, and Presbyters, and Deacons seven in number; one of whom was Stephen, the blessed martyr, who was not inferior to us, as to his pious disposition of mind towards God; and who manifested so great piety by his faith and love towards our Lord Jesus Christ, as to give his life for him; and was stoned to death by the Jews, the murderers of the Lord. But, nevertheless, this man, such and so great, who was fervent in spirit; who saw Christ on the right hand of God, and the gates of heaven opened, doth nowhere appear to have exercised functions which did not appertain to his office of a Deacon, nor to have offered the sacrifices, nor to have laid hands upon any, but to have kept his order of a Deacon unto the end. For so it became him, who was a martyr for Christ, to preserve good order. But if some blame Philip our Deacon, and Ananias our faithful brother, that the one baptized the eunuch, and the other me Paul, these men do not understand what we say. For we have affirmed only that no one snatcheth the sacerdotal dignity to himself, but receiveth it, either from God, as Melchisedek and Job, or from the High Priest, as Aaron from Moses. Therefore, Philip and Ananias did not constitute themselves, but were appointed by Christ, the High Priest of that God to whom no being is to be compared.
Chapter XLVII – The Ecclesiastical CANONS of the same holy Apostles
Canon Numbers
Let a Bishop be ordained by two or three Bishops.
Let a Presbyter be ordained by one Bishop; as also a Deacon and the rest of the clergy.
If any Bishop or Presbyter, contrary to what our Lord hath ordained concerning the sacrifice, offer any other things at the altar of God, as honey, or milk, or strong drink instead of wine, or sweet meats, or birds, or any animals, or pulse, let the transgressor be deposed.
Except grains of new corn, or bunches of grapes, in their season, and oil for the holy lamp, and incense in the time of the divine oblation, let it not be lawful that anything be brought to the altar.
But let all other fruits be sent to the house of the Bishop, as first-fruits for him and for the Presbyters, but not to the altar. Now it is plain that the Bishop and the Presbyters are to divide them to the Deacons, and to the rest of the clergy.
Let not a Bishop, or a Presbyter, or a Deacon, cast off his own wife, under pretence of piety; but if he cast her off, let him be suspended. If he continue to do it, let him be deposed.
Let not a Bishop, or a Presbyter, or a Deacon, undertake the cares of this world; but if he do, let him be deposed.
If any Bishop, or Presbyter, or Deacon, shall celebrate the holy day of the Passover before the vernal equinox, with the Jews, let him be deposed.
If any Bishop, or Presbyter, or Deacon, or anyone of the catalogue of the priesthood, when an oblation is made, do not communicate, let him mention his reason; and if it be just, let him be forgiven; but if he do not mention it, let him be suspended, as becoming a cause of damage to the people, and occasioning a suspicion against him that offered.
All those of the faithful that enter into the holy church of God, and hear the Sacred Scriptures, but do not stay during prayer and the holy communion, must be suspended, as causing disorder in the church.
If anyone, even privately, pray with a person excommunicated, let him be suspended.
If any clergyman pray with one deposed, as with a clergyman, let him also himself be deposed.
If any clergyman or layman who is suspended, or ought not to be received, go away, and be received in another city, without commendatory letters, let both those who have received him, and him that is received, be suspended. But if he be already suspended, let the suspension be prolonged upon him, as lying to and deceiving the church of God.
A Bishop ought not to leave his own parish and leap into another, although he should be urged by very many, unless there be some reasonable cause compelling him to do this, as the prospect of greater usefulness; and this not merely in his own estimation, but also according to the judgment of many Bishops, and the most urgent entreaty.
If any Presbyter or Deacon, or anyone of the catalogue of the clergy, leave his own parish, and go to another, and, entirely removing himself, continue in that other parish, without the consent of his own Bishop, him we command no longer to go on in his ministry; especially in case his Bishop call upon him to return, and he do not obey, but continue in disorder. However, let him communicate there as a layman.
But if the Bishop with whom they are, disregard the deprivation decreed against them, and receive them as clergymen, let him be suspended, as a teacher of disorder.
He who hath been twice married after his baptism, or hath had a concubine, cannot be a Bishop, or a Presbyter, or a Deacon, or anyone of the sacerdotal catalogue.
He who hath married a divorced woman, or a harlot, or a servant, or one belonging to the theatre, cannot be a Bishop, or a Presbyter, or a Deacon, or anyone of the sacerdotal catalogue.
He who hath married two sisters, or his brother’s or sister’s daughter, cannot be a clergyman.
Let a clergyman who becometh a surety, be deposed.
A eunuch, if he be such by the injury of men, or his testicles were taken away in a persecution, or he was born such, and yet is worthy, let him be made a Bishop.
He who hath mutilated himself, let him not be made a clergyman; for he is a self-murderer, and an enemy to the creation of God.
If anyone who is of the clergy mutilate himself, let him be deposed; for he is a murderer of himself.
If a layman mutilate himself, let him be suspended three years.
A Bishop, or Presbyter, or Deacon, who is taken in fornication, or perjury, or stealing, let him be deposed, and not suspended; for the Scripture saith, Thou shalt not avenge twice for the same crime, by affliction.
In like manner also, the rest of the clergy.
Of those who come into the clergy unmarried, we permit only the Readers and the Singers, if they have a mind, to marry afterwards.
We command that a Bishop, or Presbyter, or Deacon, who striketh the faithful that offend, or the unbelievers who do wickedly, and thinketh to terrify them by such means, be deposed; for our Lord hath nowhere taught us such things. On the contrary, when he himself was stricken, he did not strike again; when he was reviled, he reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not.
If any Bishop, or Presbyter, or Deacon, who is deposed justly for manifest crimes, venture to meddle with that ministration which was once intrusted to him, let him be entirely cut off from the church.
If any Bishop obtain by money that dignity, or a Presbyter, or a Deacon, let him, and the person who ordained him, be deposed; and let him be entirely cut off from communion, as Simon Magus was by me Peter.
If any Bishop make use of the rulers of this world, and by their means obtain the power over a church, let him be deposed, and let all that communicate with him be suspended.
If any Presbyter despise his own Bishop, and make a separate assembly, and fix another altar, when he hath nothing to condemn in his Bishop, as to piety and righteousness, let him be deposed, as an ambitious person; for he is a tyrant; and the rest of the clergy, as many as join themselves to him. And let the laity be suspended. But let these things be done after one, and a second, and a third admonition from the Bishop.
If any Presbyter or Deacon be put under suspension by his Bishop, it is not lawful for any other to receive him than the Bishop who put him under suspension, unless it happen that this Bishop die.
Do not receive any stranger, whether Bishop, or Presbyter, or Deacon, without commendatory letters; and even when such are presented, let the strangers be examined; and if they be preachers of piety, let them be received; but if not, supply their wants, but do not receive them to communion; for manythings are done by surprise.
The Bishops of each province ought to know who is the chief among them, and to esteem him as their head, and not to do any great thing without his consent; but every one to manage only the affairs that belong to his own parish, and the places subject to it. But neither let the chief Bishop do anything without the consent of all; for thus there will be unanimity, and God will be glorified by Christ, in the Holy Spirit.
A Bishop must not venture to ordain out of his own bounds, for cities or countries that are not subject to him. But if he be convicted of having done so, without the consent of such as govern those cities or countries, let him be deposed, and those whom he hath ordained.
If any Bishop that is ordained do not undertake his office, nor take care of the people committed to him, let him be suspended until he do undertake it; and, in like manner, a Presbyter and a Deacon. But if he go, and be not received, not because of the want of his own consent, but because of the ill-temper of the people, let him continue Bishop; but let the clergy of that city be suspended, because they have not taught that disobedient people better.
Let a council of Bishops be held twice in the year; and let them ask one another the doctrines of piety; and let them determine the ecclesiastical disputes that happen: once in the fourth week of Pentecost, and again on the twelfth of October.
Let the Bishops have the care of all the ecclesiastical possessions, and administer them as in the presence of God. But it is not lawful for him to appropriate any part of them to himself, or to give the things of God to his own kindred. But if they be poor, let him support them as poor; but let him not, under such pretences, alienate the property of the church.
Let not the Presbyters and Deacons do anything without the consent of the Bishop; for it is he who is intrusted with the people of the Lord, and will be required to give an account of their souls.
Let the proper goods of the Bishop, if he have any, and those belonging to the Lord, be openly distinguished; that he may have power, when he dieth, to leave his own goods as he may please, and to whom he may please; that, under pretence of the ecclesiastical revenues, the Bishop’s own may not come short, who sometimes hath a wife and children, or kindred, or servants. For this is just before God and men, that neither the church suffer any loss by ignorance of the affairs of the Bishop; nor his kindred, under pretence of the church, be injured, or his relations fall into lawsuits, and so his death be liable to reproach.
We command that the Bishop have power over the goods of the church; for if he be intrusted with the precious souls of men, much more ought he to give directions about goods, that, under his authority, they all be distributed by the Presbyters and Deacons to those in want, and be administered in the fear of God, and with all pious caution. He is also to partake of those things he needeth (if he need) for his necessary occasions, and those of the brethren who live with him, that they may not, by any means, suffer destitution. For the law of God appointed that those who waited at the altar should be maintained by the altar; since not so much as a soldier, at any time, beareth arms against the enemies, at his own charges.
If a Bishop, or Presbyter, or Deacon, indulge himself in dice or in excessive drinking, either let him leave off those practices, or let him be deposed.
If a Subdeacon, or a Reader, or a Singer, do the like, either let him leave off, or let him be suspended. In like manner also, a layman.
If a Bishop, or a Presbyter, or a Deacon, require usury of those to whom he lendeth, either let him leave off to do so, or let him be deposed.
If a Bishop, or a Presbyter, or a Deacon, only pray with heretics, let him be suspended; but if he also permit them to perform any part of the office of a clergyman, let him be deposed.
We command that a Bishop, or a Presbyter, or a Deacon, who receiveth the baptism or the sacrifice of heretics, be deposed; for what agreement is there between Christ and Belial? what part hath a believer with an infidel?
If a Bishop or a Presbyter rebaptize him who hath had true baptism, or do not baptize him who is polluted by the ungodly, let him be deposed, as ridiculing the cross and the death of Christ, and not distinguishing real priests from counterfeit ones.
If any layman divorce his own wife, and take another, or one divorced by another, let him be suspended.
If any Bishop or Presbyter do not baptize, according to the Lord’s constitution, into the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Ghost, but into three beings without beginning, or into three Sons, or into three Comforters, let him be deposed.
If any Bishop or Presbyter do not perform three immersions of one initiation, but one immersion which is given into the death of Christ, let him be deposed; for the Lord did not say, Baptize into my death; but, Go ye and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Do ye, therefore, Bishops, baptize thrice into one Father, and Son, and Holy Ghost, according to the will of Christ and our constitution by the Spirit.
If any Bishop, or Presbyter, or Deacon, or indeed anyone of the sacerdotal catalogue, abstain from flesh and wine, not for his own exercise, but out of hatred of the things, forgetting that all things were very good, and that God made man male and female, and blasphemously abuse the creation, either let him reform or let him be deposed, and be cast out of the church. In like manner also, let a layman be disciplined.
If any Bishop or Presbyter do not receive him that returneth from his sin, but reject him, let him be deposed; because he grieveth Christ, who saith, There is joy in heaven over one sinner that repenteth.
If any Bishop, or Presbyter, or Deacon, do not, on festival days, partake of flesh or wine (abominating them, and not for his exercise), let him be deposed, as having a seared conscience, and becoming a cause of scandal to many.
If anyone of the clergy be taken eating in a tavern, let him be suspended; excepting when, by necessity, he stoppeth at an inn upon the road.
If anyone of the clergy abuse his Bishop, let him be deposed; for thou shalt not speak evil of the ruler of thy people.
If anyone of the clergy abuse a Presbyter or a Deacon, let him be suspended.
If anyone of the clergy mock at a lame, or deaf, or blind man, or at one afflicted in his feet, let him be suspended. And the like for the laity.
If a Bishop or a Presbyter take no care of the clergy or the people, and do not instruct them in piety, let him be suspended; and if he continue in his negligence, let him be deposed.
If any Bishop or Presbyter, when anyone of the clergy is in want, do not supply his necessity, let him be suspended; and if he persevere, let him be deposed, as having killed his brother.
If anyone publicly read in the church the spurious books of the ungodly, as if they were holy, to the destruction of the people and of the clergy, let him be deposed.
If there be an accusation against a Christian for fornication, or adultery, or any other forbidden action, and he be convicted, let him not be promoted into the clergy.
If anyone of the clergy, for fear of men, as of a Jew, or of a Gentile, or of a heretic, shall deny the name of Christ, let him be suspended; but if he deny the name of a clergyman, let him be deposed; but when he repenteth, let him be received as a layman.
If any Bishop, or Presbyter, or Deacon, or indeed anyone of the sacerdotal catalogue, eat flesh with the blood of its life, or that which is torn by beasts, or which died of itself, let him be deposed; for this the law hath forbidden; but if he be a layman, let him be suspended.
If anyone of the clergy be found to fast on the Lord’s day, or on the Sabbath, excepting one only, let him be deposed; but if the person be a layman, let him be suspended.
If any clergyman or layman enter into a synagogue of the Jews or of the heretics to pray, let him be deposed and suspended.
If any of the clergy strike one in a quarrel, and kill him by that one stroke, let him be deposed, on account of his rashness; but if the offender be a layman, let him be suspended.
If anyone violate a virgin not betrothed, and keep her, let him be suspended. Moreover, it is not lawful for him to marry another, but he must retain her whom he hath chosen, although she be poor.
If any Bishop, or Presbyter, or Deacon, receive a second ordination from anyone, let him be deposed, and the man who ordained him, unless he can show that his former ordination was from the heretics; for those that are either baptized or ordained by such as these, can be neither Christians nor clergymen.
If any Bishop, or Presbyter, or Deacon, or Reader, or Singer, do not keep the holy Quadragesimal fast, or do not fast on the fourth day of the week, or on the Preparation, let him be deposed, unless he be hindered by weakness of body; but if the offender be a layman, let him be suspended.
If any Bishop, or any other of the clergy, fast with the Jews, or keep the festivals with them, or accept of the presents from their festivals, as unleavened bread, or any such thing, let him be deposed; but if the offender be a layman, let him be suspended.
If any Christian carry oil into a heathen temple, or into a synagogue of the Jews, or light up lamps in their festivals, let him be suspended.
If any clergyman or layman take away wax or oil from the holy church, let him be suspended, and let him add a fifth part to that which he took away.
A vessel of silver or of gold, or linen, that has been consecrated, let no one appropriate to his own use; for it is unjust: but if anyone be caught, let him be punished with suspension.
If a Bishop be accused of any crime by credible and faithful persons, it is necessary that he be cited by the Bishops; and if he come, and confess, or be convicted, let his punishment be determined. But if, when he is cited, he do not obey, let him be cited a second time, two Bishops being sent to him; but if then he despise them, and will not come, let the council pass what sentence they please against him; that he may not appear to gain advantage by avoiding their judgment.
Admit not a heretic for a testimony against a.Bishop, nor indeed one Christian only; for the law saith, In the mouth of two or three witnesses, every word shall be established.
A Bishop must not, by human affection, confer favors on a brother, or a son, or other kinsman; for we must not put the church of God under the laws of inheritance; but if anyone shall do this, let the ordination be invalid, and let him be punished with suspension.
If anyone be maimed in an eye, or lame of his leg, but is worthy, let him be made a Bishop; for it is not a blemish of the body that can defile him, but the pollution of the soul.
But if he be deaf and blind, let him not be made a Bishop; not as being a defiled person, but that the ecclesiastical affairs may not be hindered.
If anyone have a demon, let him not be made one of the clergy. Nay, let him not pray with the faithful; but when he is cleansed, let him be received; and if he be worthy, let him be ordained.
It is not right to appoint him a Bishop immediately who is just come in from the Gentiles, and baptized, or from a bad mode of life; for it is unjust that he who hath not yet afforded any trial of himself should be a teacher of others, unless it anywhere happen by divine grace.
We have said that a Bishop ought not to let himself down to civil offices, but to occupy himself with the necessary affairs of the church. Either, therefore, let him be persuaded not to do so, or let him be deposed; for no one can serve two masters according to the Lord’s admonition.
That servants be chosen into the clergy without their master’s consent, we do not permit, on account of the grief of the owners. For such a practice would occasion the subversion of families. But if at any time a servant appear worthy of advancement to ordination, as our Onesimus appeared, and his masters consent, and give him his freedom, and dismiss him from their house, let him be ordained.
Let a Bishop, or Presbyter, or Deacon, who indulgeth himself in military service, and desireth to retain both the Roman magistracy and the sacerdotal administration, be deposed; for the things of Caesar belong to Caesar, and the things of God to God.
Whosoever shall abuse a king or a governor, let him suffer punishment; and if he be a clergyman, let him be deposed; but if he be a layman, let him be suspended.
Let the following books be esteemed venerable and holy by you all, both of the clergy and of the laity: Of the Old Covenant, the five books of Moses, Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy; one of Joshua, the son of Nun; one of the Judges; one of Ruth; four of the Kings; two of the Chronicles; two of Esra; one of Esther; one of Judith; three of the Maccabees; one of Job; one of the Psalms; three of Solomon, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and the Song of Songs; of the Twelve Prophets, one; of Isaiah, one; of Jeremiah, one; of Ezekiel, one; of Daniel, one. And besides these, take care that your young persons learn the Wisdom of the very learned Sirach. But our sacred books, that is, those of the New Covenant, are these: The four Gospels, of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John; fourteen epistles of Paul; two epistles of Peter; three of John; one of James; one of Jude; two epistles of Clement, and the Constitutions dedicated to you the Bishops, by me Clement, in eight books, which it is not proper to publish before all, because of the mysteries contained in them; and the Acts of us, the Apostles.
Let these canonical arrangements be established by us, for you, ye Bishops; and if ye continue to observe them, ye shall be saved, and shall have peace; but if ye be disobedient, ye shall be punished, and have perpetual war, one with another, undergoing a penalty suitable to your disobedience.
Now God who alone is unbegotten, and the Maker of the whole world, unite you all through his peace, in the Holy Spirit; perfect you unto every good work, immovable, unblamable, and unreprovable; and vouchsafe to you eternal life, with us, through the mediation of his beloved Son, Jesus Christ, our God and Saviour; with whom glory be to him, the God and Father over all, in the Holy Spirit, the Comforter, now, and always, and forever and ever. Amen.
End of Book VIII
END OF APOSTOLIC CONSTITIONS
Let not, therefore, anyone that worketh signs and wonders judge anyone of the faithful who is not honored with the gift of working them. For the gifts of God which are bestowed by him through Christ, are various. And thou, indeed, hast received this gift, but that man, some other: for perhaps one hath the word of wisdom; another, the word of knowledge; another, discerning of spirits; another, foreknowledge of things to come; another, the word of teaching; another, patience; another, continence according to the law. For even Moses, the man of God, when he wrought signs in Egypt, did not exalt himself against the men of his nation; and when he was called a god, he did not arrogantly despise his own prophet Aaron. Nor did Joshua, the son of Nun, who was the leader of the people after him, though, in the war with the Jebusites, he had made the sun stand still over against Gibeon, and the moon over against the valley of Ajalon, because the day was not long enough for the victory, insult over Phineas or Caleb. Nor did Samuel, who had done so many surprising things, disregard David, the beloved of God; yet they were both prophets, and the one was high priest, and the other was king.
And when there were only seven thousand holy men in Israel who had not bowed the knee to Baal, Elijah alone among them, and his disciple Elisha, were workers of miracles; yet neither did Elijah despise Abdiah the steward, who feared God, but wrought no signs; nor did Elisha despise his own disciple, when he trembled at the enemies. Moreover, neither did the wise Daniel, who was twice delivered from the mouths of the lions, nor the three children who were delivered from the furnace of fire, despise the rest of their nation. For they knew that they had not escaped these terrible miseries by their own might, but that they both performed miracles, and were delivered from miseries, by the power of God.
Therefore let none of you exalt himself against his brethren, though he be a prophet, or though he be a worker of miracles. For if it happen that there be no longer an unbeliever, all the power of signs will thenceforward be superfluous; and to be pious is from one’s good will, but to work wonders is from the power of Him that worketh them by us; the first of which respecteth ourselves, but the second respecteth God that worketh them, for the reasons which we have already mentioned.
Therefore, neither let a king despise the officers that are under him; nor rulers, their subjects. For where there are none to be ruled over, rulers are superfluous; and where there are no officers, the kingdom will not stand.
Moreover, let not a Bishop be exalted against the Deacons and the Presbyters; nor the Presbyters against the people; for from each and all of these is the composition of the congregation; for the Bishops and the Presbyters are Priests of certain persons, and the Laity are laymen of certain persons. And, indeed, to be a Christian is in our own power; but to be an Apostle, or a Bishop, or in any other such office, is not in our own power, but at the disposal of God who bestoweth the gifts.
Thus much on account of those who have been deemed worthy of gifts and dignities.
Chapter II – Concerning unworthy Bishops and Presbyters
But to our discourse we add, that neither is every one that prophesieth holy, nor every one that casteth out demons, religious; for even Balaam the son of Beor, the prophet, prophesizes, though he was himself wicked; as also did Caiaphas, the falsely named high priest. Indeed, even the devil foretelleth manythings, and the demons about him; and yet, for all that, there is not a spark of piety in them; for they are oppressed with ignorance, by reason of their voluntary wickedness. It is manifest, therefore, that the ungodly, although they prophesy, do not, by their prophesying, cover their own impiety; nor will they who cast out demons be sanctified by the demons’ being made subject to them; for they only mock one another, as they do who play childish tricks for mirth; and they destroy those who give heed to them. Nor is a wicked king any longer a king, but a tyrant; nor is a Bishop oppressed with ignorance or an evil disposition, a Bishop, but falsely so called, being not one sent out by God, but by men, as Hananiah and Shemaiah in Jerusalem, and Zedekiah and Achiah, the false prophets in Babylon. And, indeed, Balaam, when he had corrupted Israel by Baal-Peor, suffered punishment; and Caiaphas at last was his own murderer; and the sons of Sceva, endeavoring to cast out demons, were wounded by them, and fled away in an unseemly manner; and the kings of Israel and Judah, when they became wicked, suffered many kinds of punishment.
It is therefore evident that Bishops and Presbyters, also, falsely so called, will not escape the judgment of God. For it will be said to them even now, ye Priests that despise my name, will deliver you up to the slaughter, as I did Zedekiah and Achiah, whom the Ung of Babylon fried in a frying-pan, as saith Jeremiah the prophet. We say these things, not in contempt of true prophecies, for we know that they are wrought in holy men by the inspiration of God; but to repress the audacity of vain-glorious men. And we add this withal, that from such as these God taketh away his grace. For God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace to the humble, Indeed, Silas and Agabus have prophesied in our times; yet they have not claimed to be equal to the apostles, nor have they exceeded their own measures, though they are beloved of God. Besides, women also have prophesied: of old, Miriam, the sister of Moses and Aaron; and, after her, Deborah; and, after these, Huldah and Judith; the former under Josiah, the latter under Darius. The mother of our Lord, likewise, prophesied, and her kinswoman Elizabeth, and Anna; and, in our times, the daughters of Philip. Yet these were not elated against their husbands, but preserved their own measures. Therefore, if among you also there be a man or a woman, and such a one obtain any gift, let him be humble, that God may be pleased with him. For, saith he, Upon whom will I look, but upon him that is humble and quiet, and trembleth at my words?
Chapter III – That to make constitutions concerning those things which are to be performed in the churches, is of great consequence
We have indeed set forth the first part of this discourse concerning gifts, whatever they may be, which God hath bestowed upon men, according to his own will; and how he rebuked the ways of those who either attempted to speak lies, or were moved by the spirit of the adversary; and that, from the wicked, God often taketh away his grace, both as to prophecy and as to the performance of miracles.
But now our discourse hasteneth us to the principal part of the portraiture of ecclesiastical affairs, that so, when ye have learned this constitution from us, ye who have been ordained Bishops by us, conformably to the will of Christ, may perform all things according to the commands delivered to us; knowing that he who heareth us heareth Christ, and he who heareth Christ heareth his God and Father; to whom be glory forever. Amen.
Chapter IV – Concerning Ordinations
Wherefore, we the Twelve Apostles of the Lord, who are now together, give you in charge these our Divine Constitutions concerning every ecclesiastical form; there being present with us Paul the chosen vessel, our fellow-apostle, and James the Bishop, and the rest of the Presbyters, and the seven Deacons.
In the first place, therefore, I Peter say, that a Bishop to be ordained is to be, as we have already all of us appointed, unblamable in all things, a select person, chosen by the whole people. And when he is named and approved, let the people assemble, with the Presbytery and Bishops that are present, on the Lord’s day; and let them give their consent. And let him who is preferred among the rest ask the Presbytery and the people, whether this is the person whom they desire for their ruler. And if they give their consent, let him ask further, whether he hath a good testimony from all men, as to his worthiness for so great and glorious an authority; whether all things relating to his piety towards God are right; whether justice towards men hath been observed by him; whether the affairs of his family have been well ordered by him; whether he hath been unblamable in the course of his life.
And if all the assembly together do, according to truth and not according to prejudice, testify that he is such a one, let them, the third time, as before God the Judge, and Christ, the Holy Ghost also assuredly being present, and all the holy ministering spirits, ask again, whether he is truly worthy of this ministry; that so, if in the mouth of two or three witnesses, every word may be established. And if they agree, the third time, that he is worthy, let them all be demanded their vote; and when they all give it willingly, let them be heard. And, silence being made, let one of the principal Bishops, together with two others, stand near the altar; the rest of the Bishops and Presbyters praying silently, and the Deacons holding the holy Gospels open upon the head of him that is to be ordained; and say to God,
Chapter V – Form of Prayer for the ordination of a Bishop
Thou the Great Being, thou Supreme Ruler, Lord, God Almighty, who alone art unbegotten and independent; who always art, and wast before the worlds; who needest nothing, and art above all cause and beginning; who only art true, who only art wise; who only art Most High; who art by nature invisible; whose knowledge is without beginning; who only art good and incomparable; who knowest all things before they are; who art acquainted with the most secret things; who art inaccessible, and without a superior; the God and Father of thine only-begotten Son, of our God and Saviour; the Creator of the universe by him; the Provider, the Guardian; the Father of mercies, and God of all consolation; who dwellest in the highest heavens, and yet lookest down on things below; thou who didst appoint the rules of the church by the coming of thy Christ in the flesh, under the Comforter as witness, by thine apostles, and by us the Bishops, who by thy grace are here present; who hast foreordained priests from the beginning, for the government of thy people; Abel in the first place, Seth and Enos, and Enoch and Noah, and Melchisedek and Job; who didst appoint Abraham, and the rest of the patriarchs, with thy faithful servants Moses and Aaron, and Eleazar and Phineas; who didst choose from among them rulers and priests in the tabernacle of thy testimony; who didst choose Samuel for a priest and a prophet; who didst not leave thy sanctuary without ministers; who didst delight in those whom thou chosest to be glorified in; do thou thyself, by the mediation of thy Christ, through us, pour down at this time the influence of thy free Spirit, which is administered by thy beloved Son, Jesus Christ; which he bestowed, according to thy will, on the holy apostles of thee, the eternal God. Grant by thy name, God, who searchest the hearts, that this thy servant, whom thou hast chosen to be a Bishop, may feed thy holy flock, and discharge the office of a high priest to thee, and minister to thee unblamably, night and day; that he may appease thee, and gather together the number of those that shall be saved, and may offer to thee the gifts of thy holy church. Grant to him, Lord Almighty, through thy Christ, the communion of the Holy Spirit, that so he may have power to remit sins according to thy command; to distribute clerical offices according to thine ordinance; to loose every bond, according to the power which thou gavest to the apostles; that he may please thee, in meekness and a pure heart, steadfastly, unblamably, irreproachably, while he offereth to thee a pure and unbloody sacrifice, which, by thy Christ, thou hast appointed as the mystery of the new covenant, for a sweet savor, through thy holy child Jesus Christ, our God and Saviour; through whom glory, honor, and worship, be to thee, in the Holy Spirit, now and always, and for all ages.
And when he hath prayed for these things, let the rest of the priests add, Amen; and, together with them, all the people.
And, after the prayer, let one of the Bishops elevate the sacrifice upon the hands of him that is ordained; and early in the morning let him be enthroned, in a place set apart for him, among the rest of the Bishops, they all giving him the kiss in the Lord. And after the reading of the Law and the Prophets, and our Epistles, and Acts, and the Gospels, let him that is ordained salute the church, saying, The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of our God and Father, and the fellowship of the Holy Ghost, be with you all; and let them all answer, And with thy spirit. And, after the salutation, let him speak to the people the words of exhortation; and when he hath ended his instructive discourse, I Andrew, the brother of Peter, say, that, while all, having risen, are standing up, let the Deacon ascend to some high place and proclaim, Let none of the hearers, let none of the unbelievers stay. And silence being made, let him say,
Chapter VI – The Divine Liturgy, in which is the bidding Prayer for the Catechumens
Ye catechumens, pray; and let all the faithful pray for them in their mind, saying, Lord, have mercy on them. And let the Deacon bid prayers for them, saying, Let us all implore God for the catechumens, that He that is good, He that is the lover of mankind, may mercifully hear their prayers and supplications, and so accept their petitions as to assist them, and give them those desires of their hearts which are for their advantage; and reveal to them the gospel of his Christ, give them illumination and understanding, instruct them in the knowledge of God, teach them his commands and his ordinances, implant in them his saving and holy fear, open the ears of their hearts, that they may exercise themselves in his law day and night; strengthen them in piety, unite them to and number them with his flock, deeming them worthy of the laver of regeneration, and the garment of incorruption, which is the true life; and deliver them from all ungodliness, and give no place to the adversary against them, but cleanse them from all filthiness of flesh and spirit, and dwell in them, and walk in them by his Christ; bless their coming in and their going out, and order their affairs for their good. Let us still earnestly supplicate for them, that they, obtaining by their initiation the forgiveness of their transgressions, may be esteemed worthy of the holy mysteries, and of continuance with the saints.
Rise up, ye catechumens. Pray ye that ye may have the peace of God through Christ; a peaceful day, and without sin; and that such may be the whole time of your life. Pray that yours may be a Christian death. Seek a compassionate and merciful God, and the forgiveness of your transgressions. Dedicate yourselves to the only unbegotten God, through his Christ. Bow down your heads, and receive the blessing.
But upon the mention of each of these particulars which the Deacon uttereth in bidding to pray, as we said before, let the people say, Lord, have mercy; and let the children say it first.
And as the catechumens have bowed down their heads, let the Bishop who is newly ordained bless them with this blessing:
God Almighty, unbegotten and inaccessible, who only art the true God, the God and Father of thy Christ, thine only-begotten Son; the God of the Comforter, and Lord of the universe; who by Christ didst appoint the disciples to be teachers, that men might learn piety; do thou thyself even now look down upon thy servants who are catechized in the gospel of thy Christ, and give them a new heart, and renew a right spirit in their inward parts, that they may both know and do thy will with full purpose of heart, and with a willing soul. Account them worthy of the holy initiation, and unite them to thy holy church, and make them partakers of the holy mysteries, through Christ, our hope, who for them suffered death; through whom glory and worship be given to thee in the Holy Spirit, forever. Amen.
And, after this, let the Deacon say, Go out, ye catechumens, in peace.
And after they are gone out, let him say, Ye energumens afflicted with unclean spirits, pray; and let us all earnestly pray for them, that God, the lover of mankind, may by Christ rebuke the unclean and wicked spirits, and deliver his supplicants from the dominion of the adversary. He that rebuked the legion of demons, and the prince of wickedness, the devil, may he himself even now rebuke these apostates from piety, and deliver his own workmanship from their power, and cleanse those whom he hath made with much wisdom. Let us still pray earnestly for them. Save them, God, and raise them up by thy power.
Bow down your heads, ye energumens, and receive the blessing.
And let the Bishop add a prayer, saying,
Chapter VII – Prayer for the Energumens
Thou who hast bound the strong man, and spoiled all that was in his house; who hast given us power over serpents and scorpions to tread upon them, and upon all the power of the enemy; who hast delivered the serpent, the murderer of men, bound, to us, as a parent to children; thou whom all things dread, trembling before the face of thy power; who hast cast him down as lightning from heaven to earth; not with a fall from a place, but from honor to dishonor, on account of his voluntary evil disposition; thou whose look drieth the abysses, and whose threatening melteth the mountains, and whose truth remaineth forever; whom the infants praise, and sucking babes whom angels sing hymns to and adore; who lookest upon the earth, and makest it tremble; who touchest the mountains, and they smoke; who threatenest the sea, and driest it up, and makest all its rivers as a desert, and whose clouds are the dust of thy feet; who walkest upon the sea as upon firm ground; thou only-begotten God, the Son of the great Father, rebuke these wicked spirits, and deliver the works of thy hands from the power of the adverse spirit.
For to thee belong glory, honor, and worship, and through thee to thy Father, in the Holy Spirit, forever. Amen.
And let the Deacon say, Go out, ye energumens; and, after they have gone out, let him cry aloud, Ye that are about to be illuminated, pray. Let all of us the faithful earnestly pray for them, that the Lord may deem them worthy, after being initiated into the death of Christ, to rise with him, and become partakers of his kingdom, and communicants of his mysteries; may unite them to and number them among those that are saved in his holy church. Save them, and raise them up in thy grace.
Having sealed themselves to God through his Christ, and having bowed down their heads, let them receive this blessing from the Bishop:
Chapter VIII - Prayer for the persons about to be baptized
Thou who hast formerly said by thy prophets to those that were to be initiated, Wash ye, become clean; and hast through Christ appointed the spiritual regeneration; do thou thyself even now look upon these that are about to be baptized, and bless them, and sanctify them, and prepare them, that they may become worthy of thy spiritual gift, and of the true adoption; of thy spiritual mysteries; of being gathered together with those that are saved through Christ our Saviour; through whom glory, honor, and worship, be to thee, in the Holy Spirit, forever. Amen.
And let the Deacon say, Go out, ye that are about to be illuminated.
And, after this, let him proclaim, Ye penitents, pray; and let us all earnestly pray for our brethren in the state of penance; that God, the lover of compassion, may show to them the way of repentance, and accept their return and their confession, and bruise Satan under their feet shortly; and redeem them from the snare of the devil, and the ill-usage of the demons; and free them from every unlawful word, and every absurd practice and wicked thought; forgive them all their offences, both voluntary and involuntary, and blot out the handwriting which is against them, and write them in the Book of Life; cleanse them from all filthiness of flesh and spirit, and restore and unite them to his holy flock. For He knoweth our frame; for who can say that he hath a clean heart? And who can boldly say, that he is pure from sin? For we are all under penalties. Let us still pray for them more earnestly (for there is joy in heaven over one sinner that repenteth); that, being converted from every evil work, they may be joined to all good practice; that God, the lover of mankind, may soon accept their supplications propitiously; restore to them the joy of his salvation, and strengthen them with his free spirit; that they may not be any more shaken, but be admitted to the communion of his most holy things, and become partakers of the divine mysteries; that, appearing worthy of his adoption, they may obtain eternal life. Let us all still earnestly say on their account, Lord, have mercy. Save them, God, and raise them up by thy mercy.
When ye have risen up, bow your heads to God, through his Christ, and receive the blessing.
Let the Bishop then add this prayer:
Chapter IX – The imposition of hands, and Prayer for the Penitent
Almighty, eternal God, Lord of the universe, the Creator and Governor of all things; who hast exhibited man as the ornament of the world through Christ, and didst give him a law both naturally implanted and written, that he might live according to law, as a rational creature; and, when he had sinned, thou gavest him thy goodness as a pledge, in order to his repentance. Look upon these persons, who have bowed the neck of their soul and body to thee. You desirest not the death of a sinner, but his repentance, that he turn from his wicked way and live. Thou who didst accept the repentance of the Ninevites; who willest that all men be saved, and come to the acknowledgement of the truth; who didst accept of that son who had consumed his substance in riotous living, with the bowels of a father, on account of his repentance; do thou thyself also now accept of the repentance of thy supplicants; because there is no man that sinneth not; for if thou, Lord, markest iniquities, Lord, who shall stand? because with thee there is propitiation. And do thou restore them to thy holy church, into their former dignity and honor, through Christ, our God and Saviour, through whom glory and adoration be to thee, in the Holy Spirit, forever. Amen.
Then let the Deacon say, Depart, ye Penitents.
And let him add, Let no one of those who have not a right, draw near. All we of the faithful, let us bow the knee. Let us entreat God, through his Christ; let us all earnestly beseech God, through his Christ.
Chapter X – The bidding Prayer for the Faithful
Let us pray for the peace and welfare of the world, and of the holy churches; that the God of the universe may afford us his everlasting peace, and such as may not be taken away from us; that he may preserve us in a full prosecution of such virtue as is according to godliness. Let us pray for the holy Catholic and Apostolic church, which is spread from one end of the earth to the other; that the Lord may preserve and keep it unshaken, and free from the waves of this life until the end of the world, as founded upon a rock; and let us pray for this holy parish, that the Lord of the universe may deem us worthy, without failure, to follow after the heavenly hope, and, without ceasing, to pay him the debt of our prayer. Let us pray forevery Episcopate which is under the whole heaven, of those that rightly divide the word of thy truth. And let us pray for our bishop James, and his parishes. Let us pray for our bishop Clement, and his parishes. Let us pray for our bishop Euodius, and his parishes. Let us pray for our bishop Annianus, and his parishes; that the compassionate God may grant them to continue in his holy churches in health, honor, and long life, and afford them an honorable old age, in godliness and righteousness. And let us pray for our Presbyters, that the Lord may deliver them from every unreasonable and wicked action, and afford them a Presbyterate in health and honor. Let us pray for all the Deacons and subordinate servants of the church, that the Lord may grant them an unblamable reputation. Let us pray for the Readers, Singers, Virgins, Widows, and Orphans.
Let us pray for those that are in marriage and child-bearing; that the Lord may have mercy upon them all. Let us pray for the eunuchs, leading a life of sanctity. Let us pray for those persons that are in a state of continency and religious abstinence. Let us pray for those that bear fruit in the holy church, and give alms to the needy. And let us pray for those who offer sacrifices and oblations to the Lord our God; that God, the fountain of all goodness, may recompense them with his heavenly gifts, and give them in this world a hundred-fold, and in the world to come life everlasting; and bestow upon them, for their temporal things, those that are eternal; for earthly things, those that are heavenly.
Let us pray for our brethren newly enlightened, that the Lord may strengthen and confirm them. Let us pray for our brethren afflicted with sickness, that the Lord may deliver them from every disease and every malady, and restore them sound to his holy church. Let us pray for those that travel by water or by land. Let us pray for those that are in the mines, in banishment, in prisons, and in bonds, for the name of the Lord. Let us pray for those that are worn down with toil in bitter servitude. Let us pray for our enemies, and those that hate us. Let us pray for those that persecute us for the name of the Lord, that the Lord may pacify their anger, and cause their wrath against us to pass away. Let us pray for those that are without, and have wandered out of the way, that the Lord may convert them. Let us be mindful of the infants of the church; that the Lord may perfect them in his fear, and bring them to a complete age. Let us pray one for another; that the Lord may keep us by his grace to the end, and deliver us from the evil one, and from all the scandals of those that work iniquity, and preserve us unto his heavenly kingdom. Let us pray forevery Christian soul.
Save us, and raise us up, God, by thy mercy.
Let us rise up, and let us pray earnestly, and dedicate ourselves and one another to the living God, through his Christ.
Moreover, let the High Priest offer a prayer, and say,
Chapter XI - Form of Prayer for the Faithful
Lord Almighty, the Most High, who dwellest on high, the Holy One, that restest among the saints, without beginning, the Only Potentate; who hast given to us, through Christ, the preaching of knowledge, to the acknowledgment of thy glory, and of thy name, which he hath made known to us for our comprehension. Do thou thyself even now look down, through him, upon this thy flock; and deliver it from all ignorance and wicked practices; and grant that we may fear thee in earnest, and love thee with affection, and have a due reverence of thy glory. Be gracious and merciful to them, and hearken to them when they pray unto thee, and keep them, that they may be immovable, blameless, and irreproachable; that they may be holy in body and soul, not having spot or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that they may be complete, and no one among them may be defective or imperfect. Thou powerful Defender, who dost not accept persons, be thou the assister of this thy people, which thou hast redeemed with the precious blood of thy Christ; be thou their protector, helper, provider, and guardian, their strong wall of defence, their bulwark and security; because none can snatch out of thy hand; for there is no other God like thee; because on thee is our reliance. Sanctify them through thy truth; for thy word is truth. Thou who doest nothing for favor, thou whom none can deceive, deliver them from every disease and every malady, and every offence, every injury and deceit, from fear of the enemy, from the dart that flieth in the day, from the mischief that walketh about in darkness; and account them worthy of that everlasting life which is in Christ, thine only-begotten Son, our God and Saviour; through whom glory and worship be to thee, in the Holy Spirit, now and always, and forever. Amen.
After this, let the Deacon say, Let us attend. And let the Bishop salute the church and say, The peace of God be with you all. And let the people answer, And with thy spirit. And let the Deacon say to all, Salute ye one another with a holy kiss. And let the clergy salute the Bishop; the men of the laity, the men; the women, the women.
Moreover, let the children stand at the reading-desk; and let another Deacon stand by them, that they may not be disorderly. And let other Deacons walk about, and watch the men and women, that no tumult be made, and that no one nod, or whisper, or slumber; and let the Deacons stand at the doors of the men, and the Subdeacons at those of the women; that no one go out, nor a door be opened, although it be for one of the faithful, at the time of the oblation. And let one of the Subdeacons bring water to wash the hands of the Priests; which is a symbol of the purity of those souls that are devoted to God.
Chapter XII – A constitution of James, the brother of John, the son of Zebedee
Now I also, James, the brother of John, the son of Zebedee, say that the Deacon shall immediately proclaim, Let none of the Catechumens stay here; let none of the Hearers; let none of the Unbelievers; let none of the Heterodox. Ye who have prayed the first prayer, draw near. Let the mothers receive their children. Let no one have anything against anyone; let no one come in hypocrisy; let us stand upright before the Lord with fear and trembling, to offer.
When this is done, let the Deacons bring the gifts to the Bishop at the altar; and let the Presbyters stand on his right hand and on his left, as disciples stand before their master. But let two of the Deacons, on each side of the altar, hold a fan, made of thin membranes, or of the feathers of a peacock, or of fine cloth, and let them silently drive away the small animals that fly about, that so they may not come near to the cups.
Let now the High Priest, simultaneously with the Priests, pray by himself. And let him put on his shining garments, and stand at the altar, and make the sign of the cross upon his forehead, with his hand, before all the people, and say,
The grace of Almighty God, and the love of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the fellowship of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. And let all with one voice say, And with thy spirit.
The high priest, Lift up your mind.
All the people, We lift it up unto the Lord.
The high priest, Let us give thanks to the Lord.
All the people, It is meet and right so to do.
Then let the High Priest say, is very meet and right before all things to sing a hymn to thee, who art the true God, who art before all beings; from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named; who only art unbegotten, and without beginning, independent, and without a master; who needest nothing; who art the bestower of everything that is good; who art above all cause and generation; who art always and immutably the same; from whom, as from a grand starting place, all things came into being. For thou art eternal knowledge, everlasting sight, unbegotten hearing, untaught wisdom, the first by nature, and the law to being, and superior to all number; who didst bring all things out of nothing into being, through thine only-begotten Son, but didst before all ages, by thy will, thy power, and thy goodness, without any intermediate agent beget him, the only-begotten Son, God the Word, the living Wisdom, the First-born of every creature, the Angel of thy great Council; and thy high priest, but the king and Lord of every intellectual and sensible nature; who was before all things, and through whom were all things.
Creation
For thou, eternal God, didst through him make all things, and through him thou dost account the universe worthy of thy suitable providence; for by the very same by whom thou didst bestow being, thou didst also bestow well- being; thou, the God and Father of thine only-begotten Son; who by him didst make, before all things, the cherubim and the seraphim, the aeons and hosts, the powers and authorities, the principalities and thrones, the archangels and angels; and, after all these, didst by him make this visible world, and all things that are therein. For thou art He who didst frame the heaven as an arch, and stretch it out like the covering of a tent, and didst found the earth upon nothing, by thy mere will; who didst fix the firmament, and prepare the night and the day; who didst bring the light out of thy treasures, and on its departure didst bring on darkness, for the rest of the living creatures that move up and down in the world; who didst appoint the sun in heaven to rule over the day, and the moon to rule over the night; and didst inscribe in heaven the choir of stars to praise thy glorious majesty; who didst make the water for drink, and for cleansing; the air in which we live, for respiration, and for the emission of voice, by means of the tongue, which striketh the air, and for hearing, which cooperateth under the impulse of the air, so that, receiving, it perceiveth the speech that falleth upon it; who madest fire for our consolation in darkness, for the supply of our want, and that by it we might be warmed and enlightened; who didst separate the great sea from the land, and didst render the former navigable, and the latter fit for walking; and didst replenish the former with living creatures, small and great, and fill the latter with tame ones and with wild, didst adorn it with various plants, and crown it with herbs, and beautify it with flowers, and enrich it with seeds; who didst ordain the great deep, bestow upon it a mighty amplitude; seas of salt water heaped together, yet didst bound it with barriers of the smallest sand; who sometimes dost raise it to the height of mountains by the winds, and sometimes dost smoothe it into a plain; sometimes dost enrage it into a tempest, and sometimes dost still it with a calm, that it may be easy to seafaring men in their voyages; who didst encompass this world, which was made by thee through Christ, with rivers, and water it with currents, and moisten it with springs that never fail, and didst bind it round with mountains, for the immovable and secure consistence of the earth. For thou hast replenished thy world, and adorned it with sweet-smelling and with healing herbs, with many and various living creatures, strong and weak, for food and for labor, tame and wild, with the noises of creeping things, the sounds of various sorts of flying creatures, with the circuits of the years, the numbers of months and days, the order of the seasons, the courses of the rainy clouds, for the production of the fruits, and the support of living creatures. Thou hast also appointed the station of the winds, which blow when commanded by thee, and the multitude of the plants and herbs.
Adam and Eve in Paradise
And thou hast not only created the world, but hast also made man for a citizen of the world, exhibiting him as its ornament. For thou didst say to thy Wisdom, Let us make man according to our image, and according to our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowls of the heaven. Wherefore, also, thou hast made him of an immortal soul, and of a body liable to dissolution; the former out of nothing, the latter out of the four elements; and hast given him, as to his soul, rational discernment, the distinction of piety and impiety, the observing of right and wrong; and, as to his body, thou hast granted him five senses, and progressive motion. For thou, God Almighty, didst, by thy Christ, plant a paradise in Eden, in the East, adorned with various plants, suitable for food, and didst introduce man into it, as into a rich banquet; and, when thou madest him, thou gavest him a law, implanted within him, that so he might have at home, and within himself, the seeds of the knowledge of God. Moreover, when thou hadst brought him into the delightful paradise, thou allowedst him the privilege of enjoying all things, only forbidding the tasting of one tree, in hope of greater blessings; that, in case he would keep that command, he might receive the reward of it, which was immortality: but when he neglected that command, and tasted of the forbidden fruit, by the seduction of the serpent, and the counsel of his wife, thou didst justly cast him out of paradise; yet, of thy goodness, thou didst not overlook him, nor suffer him to perish utterly; for he was thy creature. But thou didst subject to him the whole creation, and didst grant him liberty to procure himself food by his own sweat and labors; while thou didst cause all the fruits of the earth to spring up, to grow, and to ripen. And when thou hadst laid him asleep for a little while, thou didst with an oath call him to a restoration, didst loose the bond of death, and promise him life after the resurrection. And not this only, but when thou hadst increased his posterity to an innumerable multitude, those that continued with thee thou didst glorify, and those that apostatized from thee thou didst punish; and while thou didst accept the sacrifice of Abel, as of a holy person, thou didst reject the gift of Cain, the murderer of his brother, as of one that was abhorred. And, besides these, thou didst accept of Seth and Enos, and didst translate Enoch. For thou art the Creator of men, and the giver of life, and the supplier of want, and the giver of laws, and the rewarder of those that observe them, and the avenger of those that transgress them.
Old Testament; Salvation of Righteous, Destruction of Wicked
who didst bring the great flood upon the world, by reason of the multitude of the ungodly, and didst deliver righteous Noah from that flood by an ark, with eight souls, the end of the foregoing generations, and the beginning of those that were to come; who didst kindle a fearful fire against the five cities of Sodom, and didst turn a fruitful land into a salt lake, for the wickedness of them that dwelt therein, but didst snatch holy Lot out of the conflagration. Thou art He who didst deliver Abraham from the impiety of his forefathers, and didst appoint him to be the heir of the world, and didst cause thy Christ to appear to him; who didst ordain Melchisedek a high priest for thy worship; who didst render thy patient servant Job the conqueror of that serpent who is the patron of wickedness; who madest Isaac the son of promise, and Jacob the father of twelve sons; and didst increase his posterity to a multitude, and bring him into Egypt with seventy-five souls.
Thou, Lord, didst not overlook Joseph, but didst grant him, as a reward of his chastity for thy sake, the government over the Egyptians. Thou, Lord, didst not overlook the Hebrews when they were afflicted by the Egyptians, but didst deliver them, on account of the promises made to their fathers, and didst punish the Egyptians. And when men had corrupted the law of nature, and had sometimes esteemed the creation the effect of chance, and sometimes honored it more than they ought, and equalled it to the God of the universe, thou didst not suffer them to go astray, but didst raise up thy servant Moses, and by him didst give the written law, for the assistance of the law of nature, and didst show that the creation was thy work, and didst banish away the error of polytheism. Thou didst adorn Aaron and his posterity with the priesthood, and didst punish the Hebrews when they sinned, and receive them again when they returned to thee. Thou didst punish the Egyptians with a judgment of ten plagues, and didst divide the sea, and bring the Israelites through it, and drown and destroy the Egyptians, who pursued them. Thou didst sweeten the bitter water with wood. Thou didst bring water out of the hard rock. Thou didst rain manna from heaven, and quails, for food, out of the air. Thou didst afford them a pillar of fire by night to give them light, and a pillar of a cloud by day, to overshadow them from the heat. Thou didst declare Joshua to be the general of the army, and by him didst overthrow the seven nations of Canaan. Thou didst divide the Jordan, and dry up the rivers of Etham. Thou didst over throw walls without instruments, or the hand of man.
Heavenly Hosts and Choirs
For all these things, glory be to thee, Lord Almighty. Thee do the innumerable hosts of angels, archangels, thrones, dominions, principalities, authorities, and powers, thine everlasting armies, adore. The cherubim, and the six-winged seraphim, with twain covering their feet, with twain their heads, and with twain flying, say, together with thousand thousands of archangels, and ten thousand times ten thousand of angels, incessantly, and with constant and loud voices, and let all the people say it with them, Holy, holy, holy. Lord of hosts; heaven and earth are full of his glory. Be thou blessed forever. Amen.
And afterwards let the High Priest say, For thou art truly holy, and most holy, the highest and most highly exalted forever.
Life of Jesus Christ
Holy also is thine only-begotten Son, our Lord and God, Jesus Christ, who in all things ministered to his God and Father, both in thy various creations and in thy suitable providence, and hath not overlooked lost mankind. But after the law of nature, after the admonitions in the positive law, after the prophetical reproofs, and the attentions of the angels, when men had perverted both the positive law and that of nature, and had cast out of their mind the memory of the flood, the burning of Sodom, the plagues of the Egyptians, and the slaughters of the inhabitants of Palestine, and were just ready to perish universally, after an unparalleled manner, he himself was pleased by thy good will to become man, who was man’s Creator; to be under the laws, who was the legislator; to be a sacrifice, who was a High Priest; to be a sheep, who was the shepherd: and he appeased thee, his God and Father, and reconciled thee to the world, and freed all men from the impending wrath, being born of a virgin, and made in flesh, God the Word, the beloved Son, the First-born of the whole creation, according to the prophecies which were foretold concerning him by himself, of the seed of David and Abraham, of the tribe of Judah. And in the womb of a virgin He was made, who formed all mankind that are born into the world. He took flesh, who was without flesh. He who was begotten before time, was born in time. He lived holily, and taught according to the law. He drove away every sickness and every disease from men, and wrought signs and wonders among the people; and He was partaker of meat, and drink, and sleep, who nourisheth all that are in need of food, and filleth every living creature with goodness. He manifested his name to those that knew him not. He banished ignorance; he revived piety; he fulfilled thy will. He finished the work which thou gavest him to do.
Jesus Christ’s Atonement
And when he had set all these things right, he was seized by the hands of the ungodly, of the high priests and priests, falsely so called, and of the disobedient people, through the treachery of him who was possessed with wickedness as with a confirmed disease. He suffered manythings from them, and endured every ignominy, by thy permission. He was delivered to Pilate, the governor; and He who was the Judge, was judged; and He who was the Saviour, was condemned. He who was impassible, was nailed to the cross; and He who was by nature immortal, died; and He who was the Giver of life, was buried: that he might deliver from suffering and death those for whose sake he came, and might break the bonds of the devil, and deliver mankind from his deceit. He rose from the dead, the third day; and when he had continued with his disciples forty days, he was taken up into the heavens, and is seated at the right hand of thee, who art his God and Father.
Christ’s Institution of the Eucharist
Being mindful, therefore, of those things which he endured for our sake, we give thee thanks, Almighty God, not in such a manner as we ought, but as we are able, and fulfil his constitution. For in the same night in which he was betrayed, he took bread in his holy and undefiled hands; and, looking up to Thee, his God and Father, he brake it, and gave it to his disciples, saying, This is the mystery of the new covenant. Take of it, and eat. This is my body, which is broken for many for the remission of sins. In like manner also he took the cup, and mixed it of wine and water, and sanctified it, and delivered it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; for this is my blood which is shed for many, for the remission of sins. Do this in remembrance of me. For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do show forth my death till I come.
This Eucharist
Being mindful, therefore, of his Passion, and death, and resurrection from the dead, and return into the heavens, and his future second advent, in which he is to come with glory and power to judge the living and the dead, and to recompense to everyone according to his works, we offer to thee, our King and our God, according to his constitution, this bread and this cup; giving thee thanks, through him, that thou hast thought us worthy to stand before thee, and to sacrifice; and we beseech thee to look propitiously upon these gifts, which are here set before thee, thou God, who needest none of our offerings, and to accept them to the honor of thy Christ, and send down thy Holy Spirit, the Witness of the sufferings of the Lord Jesus, that he may show this bread to be the body of thy Christ, and the cup to be the blood of thy Christ, in order that those who are partakers thereof may be strengthened for piety, may obtain the remission of their sins, may be delivered from the devil and his deceit, may be filled with the Holy Ghost, may be made worthy of thy Christ, and may obtain eternal life upon thy reconciliation to them, Lord Almighty.
We further pray unto thee, Lord, for thy holy church, spread from one end of the world to another, which thou hast purchased with the precious blood of thy Christ; that thou wilt preserve it unshaken, and free from disturbance, until the end of the world; and forevery episcopate that rightly divideth the word of truth.
We further implore thee, for me, who am nothing, who offer to thee; for the whole presbytery, for the deacons, and all the clergy, that thou wilt make them wise, and replenish them with the Holy Spirit.
We further implore thee, Lord, for the king, and all in authority, and for the whole army; that they may be peaceable towards us, that so, leading the whole time of our life in quietness and unanimity, we may glorify thee, through Jesus Christ, who is our hope.
We further offer to thee, also, for all those holy persons who have pleased thee from the beginning of the world, patriarchs, prophets, righteous men, apostles, martyrs, confessors, bishops, presbyters, deacons, subdeacons, readers, singers, virgins, widows, lay persons, and all whose names thou thyself knowest.
We further offer to thee, for this people, that thou wilt render them to the praise of thy Christ, a royal priesthood, a holy nation; for those that are in virginity and purity; for the widows of the church; for those persons who are in honorable marriage and child-bearing; and for the infants of thy people; that thou wilt cast none of us away.
We further beseech thee, also, for this city and its inhabitants; for those that are sick; for those that are in bitter servitude; for those that are in banishment; for those that are in prison; for those that travel by water or by land; that thou, the Helper and Assister of all men, wilt be their Supporter.
We further implore thee, also, for those that hate us and persecute us for thy name’s sake; for those that are without, and wander out of the way; that thou wilt convert them to goodness, and pacify their anger.
We further implore thee, also, for the catechumens of the church; and for those that are vexed by the adversary; and for our brethren, the penitents: that thou wilt perfect the first in the faith; that thou wilt deliver the second from the energy of the evil one; and that thou wilt accept the repentance of the last, and forgive both them and us our offences.
We further offer to thee, also, for the good temperature of the air, and the fertility of the fruits; that so, partaking perpetually of the good things derived from thee, we may praise thee without ceasing, who givest food to all flesh.
We further implore thee, also, for those who are absent on a just cause; that thou wilt keep us all in piety, and gather us together in the kingdom of the Anointed of thee, the God of all nature, perceptible and conceivable, our King; that thou wilt keep us immovable, blameless, irreproachable. For to thee belong all glory, worship, and thanksgiving, honor and adoration, to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, both now and always, and foreverlasting and endless ages.
And let all the people say, Amen. And let the Bishop say, The peace of God be with you all. And let all the people say, And with thy spirit.
And let the Deacon proclaim again,
XIII – The Bidding Prayer for the Faithful, after the divine Oblation
Let us still further beseech God, through his Christ, for the gift which is offered to the Lord God, that the good God may accept it, through the mediation of his Christ, upon his heavenly altar, for a sweet-smelling savor.
Let us pray for this church and people. Let us pray for every Episcopate, for every Presbytery, for all the Deacons and Ministers in Christ, for the whole body of the church, that the Lord may keep and preserve them all.
Let us pray for kings, and those who are in authority, that they may be peaceable towards us, that so we may have and lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.
Let us be mindful of the holy martyrs, that we may be thought worthy to be partakers of their trial.
Let us pray for those that are departed in the faith.
Let us pray for the good temperature of the air, and the perfect maturity of the fruits.
Let us pray for those that are newly enlightened, that they may all be strengthened in the faith.
Let us pray for one another. Raise us up, God, in thy grace.
Let us stand up, and dedicate ourselves to God, through his Christ.
And let the Bishop say, God, who art great, and whose name is great, who art great in counsel, and mighty in works, the God and Father of thy holy child Jesus, our Saviour; look upon us, and upon this thy flock, which thou hast chosen through him, to the glory of thy name; and sanctify our body and our soul, and grant us the power to be made pure from all filthiness of flesh and spirit, and to obtain the good things laid up for us, and account no one of us unworthy; but be thou our Comforter, Helper, and Protector, through thy Christ, with whom glory, honor, praise, doxology, and thanksgiving be to thee, and to the Holy Spirit, forever.
Amen.
And after all have said Amen, let the Deacon say, Let us attend. And let the Bishop speak thus to the people, Holy things for holy persons. And let the people answer, There is One that is holy; there is one Lord, Jesus Christ, blessed forever, to the glory of God the Father. Amen. Glory to God in the highest, and on earth, peace; good will among men. Hosanna to the Son of David. Blessed be he God the Lord that cometh in the name of the Lord, and hath appeared to us. Hosanna in the highest.
And after that, let the Bishop partake; then the Presbyters, and the Deacons and Subdeacons, and the Readers, and the Singers, and the Ascetics; and, of the women, the Deaconesses, and the Virgins, and the Widows; afterwards the children, and then all the people in order, with reverence and godly fear, without tumult.
And let the Bishop give the oblation, saying, The body of Christ; and let him that receiveth it say, Amen. And let the Deacon take the cup, and when he giveth it, let him say, The blood of Christ, the cup of life; and let him that drinketh say, Amen. And let the thirty-third Psalm be said, while all the rest are partaking.
Psalm 33 (New King James Version)
The Sovereignty of the LORD in Creation and History
1 Rejoice in the LORD, O you righteous!
For praise from the upright is beautiful.
2 Praise the LORD with the harp;
Make melody to Him with an instrument of ten strings.
3 Sing to Him a new song;
Play skillfully with a shout of joy.
4 For the word of the LORD is right,
And all His work is done in truth.
5 He loves righteousness and justice;
The earth is full of the goodness of the LORD.
6 By the word of the LORD the heavens were made,
And all the host of them by the breath of His mouth.
7 He gathers the waters of the sea together as a heap;[a]
He lays up the deep in storehouses.
8 Let all the earth fear the LORD;
Let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him.
9 For He spoke, and it was done;
He commanded, and it stood fast.
10 The LORD brings the counsel of the nations to nothing;
He makes the plans of the peoples of no effect.
11 The counsel of the LORD stands forever,
The plans of His heart to all generations.
12 Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD,
The people He has chosen as His own inheritance.
13 The LORD looks from heaven;
He sees all the sons of men.
14 From the place of His dwelling He looks
On all the inhabitants of the earth;
15 He fashions their hearts individually;
He considers all their works.
16 No king is saved by the multitude of an army;
A mighty man is not delivered by great strength.
17 A horse is a vain hope for safety;
Neither shall it deliver any by its great strength.
18 Behold, the eye of the LORD is on those who fear Him,
On those who hope in His mercy,
19 To deliver their soul from death,
And to keep them alive in famine.
20 Our soul waits for the LORD;
He is our help and our shield.
21 For our heart shall rejoice in Him,
Because we have trusted in His holy name.
22 Let Your mercy, O LORD, be upon us,
Just as we hope in You.
And when all, both men and women, have communicated, let the deacons take what remains and carry it into the sacristy.
And when all, both men and women, have partaken, let the Deacons carry what remaineth into the private apartments of the church.
And when the Singer hath done, let the Deacon say,
Chapter XIV – The Bidding Prayer after the Participation
Having partaken of the precious body and of the precious blood of Christ, let us give thanks to Him who hath thought us worthy to partake of these his holy mysteries; and let us implore him that it may not be to us for condemnation, but for salvation, to the advantage of soul and body, to the preservation of piety, to the remission of sins, and to the life of the world to come. Let us arise. In the grace of Christ let us dedicate ourselves to God, to the only unbegotten God, and to his Christ.
And let the Bishop give thanks:
Chapter XV – Form of Prayer after the Participation
Lord God Almighty, the Father of thy Christ, thy blessed Son, who hearest those that call upon thee with uprightness, who also knowest the supplications of those that are silent; we thank thee that thou hast accounted us worthy to partake of thy holy mysteries, which thou hast bestowed upon us, for the entire confirmation of those things which we have rightly known, for the preservation of piety, for the remission of our offences; because the name of thy Christ is called upon us, and we are joined to thee.
Thou that hast separated us from the communion of the ungodly, unite us with those that are consecrated to thee in holiness; confirm us in the truth by the assistance of thy Holy Spirit. Reveal to us the things of which we are ignorant; supply to us the things in which we are defective; confirm us in the things which we already know. Preserve the priests blameless in thy worship; keep the kings in peace, and the rulers in righteousness; the air, in a good temperature; the fruits, in fertility; the world, in an all-powerful Providence. Pacify the warring nations. Convert those that are gone astray. Sanctify thy people. Keep those that are in virginity. Preserve those in fidelity that are in marriage. Strengthen those that are in purity. Bring to maturity the little ones; confirm the newly perfected; instruct the catechumens, and render them worthy of admission; and gather us all together into thy kingdom of heaven, through Jesus Christ our Lord; with whom glory, honor, and worship, be to thee, and to the Holy Spirit, forever. Amen.
And let the Deacon say, Bow down to God, through his Christ, and receive the blessing.
And let the Bishop add this prayer, and say, God Almighty, the true God, to whom nothing can be compared; who art everywhere, and present in all things, and art in nothing as one of the things themselves; who art not bounded by place, nor grown old by time; who art not terminated by ages, nor deceived by words; who art not subject to generation, and needest no guard; who art above all corruption, free from all change, and invariable by nature; who dwellest in light inaccessible; who by nature art invisible, and yet art known to all reasonable natures who seek thee with a good mind; who art discovered by those that seek after thee with a good mind; the God of Israel, thy people which truly see, and which have believed in Christ. Be gracious to me, and hear me, for thy name’s sake; and bless those that bow down their necks to thee, and grant them the petitions of their hearts, which are for their good, and reject no one of them from thy kingdom. But sanctify, watch over, protect, and assist them; deliver them from the adversary, and every enemy; keep their houses, and guard their coming in and their going out. For to thee belongeth the glory, praise, majesty, worship, and adoration, and to thy Son Jesus, thy Christ, our Lord and God and King, and to the Holy Spirit, now, and always, and forever. Amen.
And the Deacon shall say, Depart in peace.
These constitutions concerning this mystical worship, we the Apostles ordain for you the Bishops, Priests, and Deacons.
(End Of Eucharist)
Chapter XVI – Concerning the ordination of Presbyters, a constitution of John who was beloved by the Lord
Concerning the ordination of Presbyters, I, who was beloved by the Lord, make this constitution for you the Bishops:
When thou ordainest a Presbyter, Bishop, lay thy hand upon his head, in the presence of the Presbyters and Deacons, and pray, saying,
Lord Almighty, our God, who hast created all things by Christ, and dost in like manner take care of the universe by him; for he who had power to make different creatures, hath also power to take care of them, according to their different natures. On which account, God, thou takest care of immortal beings by preservation alone, but of those that are mortal, by succession; of the soul, by the provision of laws; of the body, by the supply of its wants. Do thou thyself, therefore, even now look upon thy holy church, aNd increase it, and multiply those that preside in it, and grant them power, that they may labor in word and deed for the edification of thy people. Do thou thyself also now look upon this thy servant, who is put into the Presbytery by the vote and determination of the whole clergy. And do thou replenish him with the spirit of grace and counsel, to assist and govern thy people with a pure heart, in the same manner in which thou didst look upon thy chosen people, and didst command Moses to choose elders, whom thou didst fill with thy Spirit. And now, Lord, bestow and preserve in us the spirit of thy grace, that this person, being filled with the gifts of healing and the word of teaching, may in meekness instruct thy people, and sincerely serve thee with a pure mind and a willing soul; and may fully discharge the holy ministrations for thy people, through thy Christ, with whom glory, honor, and worship, be to thee and to the Holy Spirit forever. Amen.
Chapter XVII – Concerning the ordination of Deacons, a constitution of Philip
Concerning the ordination of Deacons, I Philip make this constitution: Thou shalt ordain a Deacon, Bishop, by laying thy hands upon him in the presence of the whole Presbytery and of the Deacons, and shalt pray, saying,
Chapter XVIII – Form of Prayer for the ordination of a Deacon
God, the Almighty, the true and faithful, who art rich unto all that call upon thee in truth; who art fearful in counsels, and wise in understanding; who art powerful and great; hear our prayer, Lord, and let thine ears receive our supplication, and cause the light of thy countenance to shine upon this thy servant, who is appointed for thee to the office of a Deacon; and replenish him with thy Holy Spirit and with power, as thou didst replenish Stephen, who was thy martyr, and follower of the sufferings of thy Christ. And grant that he may discharge acceptably the ministration of a Deacon, steadily, unblamably, and without reproof, and be accounted worthy of a higher degree; through the mediation of thine only-begotten Son, with whom glory, honor, and worship, be to thee, and to the Holy Spirit, forever. Amen.
Chapter XIX – Concerning a Deaconess, a constitution of Bartholomew
Concerning a Deaconess, I Bartholomew make this constitution: Bishop, thou shalt lay thy hands upon her in the presence of the Presbytery, and of the Deacons and Deaconesses; and shalt say,
Chapter XX – Form of Prayer for the ordination of a Deaconess
Eternal God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Creator man and woman; who didst with the Spirit replenish Miriam, and Deborah, and Anna, and Huldah; who didst not disdain that thine only-begotten Son should be born of a woman; who also, in the tabernacle of the testimony and in the temple, didst ordain women to be keepers of thy holy gates; do thou thyself also now look upon this thy handmaid, appointed to the office of a Deaconess; and grant her the Holy Spirit, and cleanse her from all filthiness of flesh and spirit; that she may worthily discharge the work which is committed to her, unto thy glory, and the praise of thy Christ; with whom glory and adoration be to thee, and to the Holy Spirit, forever. Amen.
Chapter XXI – Concerning Subdeacons, a constitution of Thomas
Concerning Subdeacons, I Thomas make this constitution for you the Bishops: When thou dost ordain a Subdeacon, Bishop, thou shalt lay thy hands upon him, and say,
Lord God, the Creator of heaven and earth, and of all things that are therein; who also, in the tabernacle of the testimony, didst appoint overseers and keepers of thy holy vessels; do thou thyself also now look upon this thy servant, appointed a Sub- deacon; and grant him the Holy Spirit, that he may worthily handle the vessels consecrated to thy service, and do thy will always, through thy Christ, with whom glory, honor, and worship, be to thee, and to the Holy Spirit, forever. Amen.
Chapter XXII – Concerning Readers, a constitution of Matthew
Concerning Readers, I Matthew, who am also Levi, formerly a publican, make this constitution: Ordain a Reader by laying thy hands upon him, and pray to God, saying,
Eternal God, who art plenteous in mercy and compassions; who hast made manifest the constitution of the world by the things that are effectuated, and keepest the number of thine elect; do thou thyself also now look upon thy servant, intrusted to read thy Holy Scriptures to thy people; and grant to him that Holy Spirit which was in the prophets. Thou who didst instruct Ezra thy servant to read thy laws to thy people, now also instruct thy servant, in answer to our prayers; and grant that he may without blame perform the work committed to him, and be proved worthy of a higher degree, through Christ; with whom glory and worship be to thee, and to the Holy Spirit, forever. Amen.
Chapter XXIII – Concerning Confessors, a constitution of James the son of Alpheus
And I James, the son of Alpheus, make this constitution concerning Confessors: A Confessor is not appointed. For this is a matter of voluntariness and of patience; and he is worthy of great honor, as having confessed the name of God and of his Christ before nations and kings. If, however, there be occasion, he is to be ordained either a Bishop, or Presbyter, or Deacon. But if anyone of the Confessors, who is not ordained, snatch to himself any such dignity, on account of his confession, let this person be deposed and rejected; for he is not what he pretendeth to be, since he hath denied the constitution of Christ, and is worse than an infidel.
Chapter XXIV – The same apostle’s constitution concerning Virgins
Concerning Virgins, I, the same apostle, make this constitution: A Virgin is not appointed; for we have no such command from the Lord. The prize pertaineth to a voluntary trial, not for the reproach of marriage, but on account of leisure and piety.
Chapter XXV – The constitution of Lebbeus, who was surnamed Thaddeus, concerning Widows
And I Lebbeus, surnamed Thaddeus, make this constitution concerning Widows: A Widow is not appointed; yet if she hath lost her husband a long time, and hath lived soberly and unblamably, and hath taken extraordinary care of her family, as Judith and Anna, those women of great reputation, let her be enrolled in the order of Widows. But if she hath lately lost her companion, let her not be confided in, but let her youth be judged of by time; for the passions sometimes grow aged with persons, if they be not restrained by a better bridle.
Chapter XXVI – The same apostle concerning an Exorcist
Concerning an Exorcist, I, the same apostle, make this constitution: An Exorcist is not appointed; for the prize pertaineth to voluntary goodness and the grace of God, through Christ, by the influence of the Holy Spirit. For he who hath received the gift of healing is declared by revelation from God, the grace that is in him being manifest to all. But if there be need of him for a Bishop, or Presbyter, or Deacon, he is appointed accordingly.
Chapter XXVII – Simon the Cananite, concerning the number necessary for the ordination of a Bishop
And I, Simon the Cananite, make this constitution determining by how many a Bishop ought to be ordained: Let a Bishop be ordained by three Bishops, or by two. But if anyone be ordained by one Bishop, let him be deposed, both himself and the Bishop that ordained him. If, however, there be a necessity that he have only one to ordain him, because more Bishops cannot come together, as in time of persecution, or for other similar cause, let him bring the suffrage of permission from more Bishops.
Chapter XXVIII – The same apostle’s canons concerning Bishops, Presbyters, Deacons, and the rest of the clergy
In respect to canons, I, the same apostle, make this constitution: A Bishop blesseth, but doth not receive the blessing. He layeth on hands, ordaineth, offereth, receiveth the blessing from Bishops, but by no means from Presbyters. A Bishop deposeth any clerical person deserving to be deposed, except a Bishop; for of himself he hath not power to do that.
A Presbyter blesseth, but doth not receive the blessing; yet he receiveth the blessing from the Bishop, or from a fellow-Presbyter. In like manner he giveth it to a fellow-Presbyter. He layeth on hands, but doth not ordain. He doth not depose; yet he suspendeth from communion those that are under him, if they be liable to such a punishment.
A Deacon doth not bless, doth not give the blessing, but receiveth it from the Bishop and the Presbyter. He doth not baptize; he doth not offer: but, when a Bishop or a Presbyter hath offered, he distributeth to the people, not as a Priest, but as one that ministereth to the Priests. But it is not lawful for anyone of the other clergy to do the work of a Deacon.
A Deaconess doth not bless, nor perform anything belonging to the office of Presbyters or Deacons; but is only to keep the doors, and to minister to the Presbyters in the baptizing of women, on account of decency.
A Deacon suspendeth a Subdeacon, a Reader, a Singer, or a Deaconess, if there be any occasion, in the absence of a Presbyter.
It is not lawful for a Subdeacon to suspend anyone, whether a clerical or a lay person; nor for a Reader, nor for a Singer, nor for a Deaconess; for they are only attendants, ministering to the Deacons.
Chapter XXIX – Concerning the blessing of water and of oil, a constitution of Matthias
Concerning the water and the oil, I, Matthias, make this constitution: Let the Bishop bless the water or the oil. If, however, he be not present, let the Presbyter bless it; the Deacon standing by. But when the Bishop is present, let the Presbyter and the Deacon stand by, and let him say thus:
Lord of hosts, the God of powers, the Creator of the waters, and the Supplier of oil; who art compassionate, and a Lover of mankind; who hast given water for drink and for cleansing, and oil to give man a cheerful and joyous countenance; do thou thyself also now sanctify this water and this oil, through thy Christ, in the name of him or her that hath offered them; and grant them a power to restore health, to drive away diseases, to banish demons, and to disperse all snares, through Christ, our hope; with whom glory, honor, and worship, be to thee, and to the Holy Spirit, forever. Amen.
XXX – The same apostle’s constitution concerning first-fruits and tithes
Concerning first-fruits and tithes, I, the same apostle, further enjoin, that all first-fruits be brought to the Bishop, and to the Presbyters, and to the Deacons, for their maintenance; but let all the tithe be for the maintenance of the rest of the clergy, and of the virgins and widows, and of those under the trial of poverty. For the first-fruits belong to the Priests, and to the Deacons that minister to them.
XXXI – The same apostle’s constitution concerning the remaining oblations
Concerning the residue, I, the same apostle, make this constitution: Those blessed oblations which remain at the Mysteries, let the Deacons distribute among the clergy, according to the mind of the Bishop, or of the Presbyters: to a Bishop, four parts; to a Presbyter, three parts; to a Deacon, two parts; and to the rest, the Sub- deacons, or Readers, or Singers, or Deaconesses, one part. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God, that every one be honored according to his dignity; for the church is the school, not of confusion, but of good order.
Chapter XXXII – Various canons of Paul the Apostle, concerning those that present themselves to be baptized; whom we are to receive, and whom to reject
And I, Paul, the least of the Apostles, make the following constitutions for you, the Bishops, and Presbyters, and Deacons, in respect to canons: Let those that are beginning to come to the mystery of godliness be brought by the Deacons to the Bishop, or to the Presbyters; and let them be examined as to the causes of their coming to the word of the Lord. And let those that bring them inquire carefully about their character, and give them their testimony. Let their habits and their life be inquired into; and whether they are servants or free persons. And if anyone be a servant, let him be asked who is his master. If he be servant to one of the faithful, let his master be asked if he can give him a good character. If he cannot, let him be rejected, until he show himself to his master to be worthy. But if he give him a good character, let him be admitted. If he be a servant to a heathen, let him be taught to please his master, that the Word be not blasphemed. If, then, he have a wife, or a woman have a husband, let them be taught to be content with each other. But if they be unmarried, let them learn not to commit fornication, but to enter into lawful marriage. But if his master be one of the faithful, and know that he is guilty of fornication, and yet do not give to him a wife, or to the woman a husband, let him be suspended.
Moreover, if anyone have a demon, let him indeed be taught piety, but not received into communion before he be cleansed; yet if death be near, let him be received.
If anyone be a maintainer of harlots, let him either leave off to prostitute women, or let him be rejected. If a prostitute come, let her cease from her lewdness, or let her be rejected. If a maker of idols come, let him either desist from his employment, or let him be rejected. If one belonging to the theatre come, whether it be man or woman; or a charioteer, or a dueller, or a racer, or a superintendent of sports, or an Olympic gamester; or one that playeth on the pipe, or on the lute, or on the harp, at those games; or a pantomimic dancing-master; or a keeper of a grog-shop; let them desist, or them be rejected. If a soldier come, let him be taught to do no injustice, to accuse no man falsely, and to be content with his allotted stipend. If he comply, let him be received; but if he refuse, let him be rejected. He that is guilty of sins not to be named, a sodomite, an effeminate person, a magician, an enchanter, an astrologer, a diviner, a user of magic verses, a juggler, a mountebank, one that maketh amulets, one that goeth round with heathenish ceremonies for purification, a soothsayer, a fortune-teller, an observer of palmistry; he that, when he meeteth another, observeth defects of the eyes or of the feet, an observer of birds, or of cats, or of noises, or of symbolical sounds; let these be proved by time, for the wickedness is hard to be washed away. And if they leave off those practices, let them be received; but, if they do not agree to that, let them be rejected.
Let a concubine, who is servant to an unbeliever, and confineth herself to her master alone, be received; but, if she be incontinent with others, let her be rejected. If one of the faithful have a concubine, if she be a bond-servant, let him leave off that way, and marry lawfully. If she be a free woman, let him marry her lawfully. If he do not, let him be rejected.
He that followeth the Gentile customs, or the Jewish fables, either let him reform, or let him be rejected. If anyone follow the sports of the theatre, or hunting with dogs, or horse-races, or combats, either let him desist, or let him be rejected.
Let him who is to be catechized, be catechized three years. But if anyone be diligent, and have a good will in respect to the business, let him be admitted; for it is not the length of time, but the course of life, that is judged.
He that teacheth, although he be one of the laity, yet, if he be skilful in the Word, and grave in his manners, let him teach. For they shall be all taught of God.
Every one of the faithful, whether male or female, when they rise from sleep, before they go to work, when they have washed themselves, let them pray. If, moreover, any catechetical instruction be held, let the faithful person prefer to his work the word of piety.
Let the believer, whether man or woman, treat servants kindly, as we have ordained in the foregoing books, and have taught in our Epistles.
Chapter XXXIII – On what days servants are not to work
I Paul, and I Peter, make this constitution: Let the servants work five days; but on the Sabbath, and on the Lord’s day, let them have leisure to go to church, for the doctrine of piety. We have said that the Sabbath is on account of the creation, but the Lord’s day on account of the resurrection. Let servants rest from their work all the Great Week, and that which followeth it; for the one is in memory of the Passion, and the other of the Resurrection. And there is need of their being instructed who it is that suffered, and rose again; and who it is that permitted him to suffer, and raised him again. Let them have rest from their work on the Ascension, because it was the conclusion of the dispensation by Christ. Let them rest at Pentecost, on account of the coming of the Holy Spirit, which was given to those that believed in Christ. Let them rest on the festival of his Birth; for then the unexpected favor was bestowed on men, that the Word of God, Jesus Christ, was born of the virgin Mary, for the salvation of the world. Let them rest on the festival of the Epiphany; for then there was made a manifestation of the divinity of Christ, the Father bearing him testimony at his baptism; and the Comforter, in the form of a dove, indicating to those who were present, the individual respecting whom the testimony was borne. Let them rest on the days of the Apostles; for they were constituted your teachers in respect to Christ, and have deemed you worthy of the Spirit. Let them rest on the day of Stephen, the first martyr; and on the days of the other holy martyrs, who have esteemed Christ more precious than their own life.
Chapter XXXIV – At what hours, and why, we are to pray
Offer up your prayers at the dawn of day, and at the third hour, and the sixth, and the ninth, and at evening, and at cock-crowing: at the dawn, returning thanks, because the Lord hath sent you light, hath led away the night, and brought on the day; at the third hour, because at that hour the Lord received the sentence of condemnation from Pilate; at the sixth, because at that hour he was crucified; at the ninth, because all things were in commotion at the crucifixion of the Lord, as trembling at the bold attempt of the wicked Jews, and not bearing the injury offered to the Lord; at evening, giving thanks, because he hath given you the night, a season of repose from the daily labors; and at cock-crowing, because that hour bringeth the good news of the coming of the day, for the performance of works requiring the light.
But if it be not possible to go to the church, on account of the unbelievers, thou, Bishop, shalt assemble the faithful in some house, that a godly man may not enter into an assembly of the ungodly. For it is not the place that sanctifieth the man, but the man the place. And if the ungodly possess the place, avoid thou it, because it is profaned by them; for as holy priests sanctify a place, so the profane defile it. If it be not possible to assemble either in the church or in a house, let everyone by himself sing, and read, and pray, or two or three together. For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.
Let not one of the faithful pray with a catechumen; no, not even privately. For it is not reasonable that he who is initiated should be polluted with one not initiated.
Let not one of the godly pray with a heretic; no, not even privately. For what fellowship hath light with darkness?
Let believers, man or woman, connected with servants, withdraw themselves from the illicit intercourse, or be rejected from the church.
Chapter XXXV – A constitution of James, the brother of Christ, concerning Evening Prayer
I James, the brother of Christ according to the flesh, but his servant as the only-begotten God, and one appointed Bishop of Jerusalem by the Lord himself and the apostles, ordain thus:
When it is evening, thou, Bishop, shalt assemble the church; and, after the repetition of the Psalm at the lighting-up of the lights. the Deacon shall bid prayers for the catechumens, the energumens, the persons about to be baptized, and the penitents, as we have before said. But after the dismission of these, the Deacon shall say, So many as are of the faithful, let us pray to the Lord. And after he hath bidden the supplications contained in the first prayer for the faithful, he shall say,
Chapter XXXVI – A bidding Prayer for the Evening
Save us, God, and raise us up by thy Christ.
Let us stand up, and ask for the mercies of the Lord and his compassions; for the angel of peace; for what things are good and profitable; for a Christian departure out of this life; an evening and a night of peace, and free from sin. And let us entreat that the whole course of our life may be unblamable. Let us dedicate ourselves and one another to the living God, through his Christ. And let the Bishop add this prayer, and say,
Chapter XXXVII – A Thanksgiving for the Evening
God, who art without beginning and without end, the Maker of the universe through Christ, and the Provider for it; but, before all, his God and Father; the Lord of the Spirit, and the King of existences conceivable and perceptible; who hast made the day for the works of light, and the night for the refreshment of our infirmity.
For the day is thine; the night also is thine. Thou hast prepared the light and the sun. Do thou thyself now, Lord, thou lover of mankind, and fountain of all good, mercifully accept this our evening thanksgiving. Thou who hast brought us through the length of the day, and hast brought us to the beginning of the night, preserve us by thy Christ; afford us a peaceful evening, and a night free from sin; and account us worthy of everlasting life, by thy Christ; through whom glory, honor, and worship, be to thee in the Holy Spirit, forever. Amen.
And let the Deacon say, Bow down for the laying-on of hands
And let the Bishop say,
God of our fathers, and Lord of mercy, who by thy Wisdom didst form man a rational creature, and beloved of God more than the other beings on earth; and didst give him authority to rule over the earth, and didst ordain, by thy will, rulers and priests; the former for the security of life, the latter for a regular worship; do thou thyself now also look down, Lord Almighty, and cause thy face to shine upon thy people, who bow down the neck of their heart; and bless them by thy Christ; through whom thou hast enlightened us with the light of knowledge, and hast revealed thyself to us; and with whom worthy adoration is due from every rational and holy nature to thee in the Holy Spirit the Comforter, forever. Amen.
And let the Deacon say, Depart in peace.
In like manner in the morning, after the repetition of the morning Psalm, and his dismission of the catechumens, the energumens, the candidates for baptism, and the penitents, and after the usual bidding of prayers (that we may not repeat the same things), let the Deacon add, after the words, Save us, God, and raise us up in thy grace, the following:
Let us beg of the Lord his mercies and his compassions; that this morning, and this day, and all the time of our sojourning, may be peaceful, and without sin; that he will grant us his angel of peace; that our departure out of this life may be a Christian departure; and that God will be merciful and gracious. Let us dedicate ourselves, and one another, to the living God, through his only-begotten.
And let the Bishop offer this prayer, and say,
Chapter XXXVIII – A Thanksgiving for the Morning
God, the God of spirits and of all flesh, who art beyond comparison, and needest nothing; who hast given the sun to rule over the day, and the moon and the stars to rule over the night; do thou thyself also now look upon us with gracious eyes, and receive our morning thanksgivings; and have mercy upon us. For we have not spread out our hands to a strange God; for there is not among us any new God, but thou the eternal God, who art without end; who hast given us our being through Christ, and given us our well-being through him. Do thou thyself also bestow upon us, through him, eternal life; with whom glory, and honor, and worship, be to thee, and to the Holy Spirit, forever. Amen.
And let the Deacon say, Bow down for the laying-on of hands.
And let the Bishop add this prayer, saying,
Chapter XXXIX – A Prayer , with imposition of hands for the Morning
God, who art faithful and true; who hast mercy on thousands and ten thousands of them that love thee; who art the lover of the humble, and the protector of the needy; of whom all things stand in need, for all things are subject to thee; look upon this thy people, who bow down their heads to thee; and bless them with spiritual blessings. Keep them as the apple of an eye. Preserve them in piety and righteousness, and account them worthy of eternal life, in Christ Jesus, thy beloved Son; with whom glory, honor, and worship, be to thee, and to the Holy Spirit, now, and always, and forever. Amen.
And let the Deacon say, Depart in peace.
And when the first-fruits are offered, the Bishop giveth thanks in
this manner:
Chapter XI – Form of Prayer for the First-fruits
We give thanks to thee, Lord Almighty, the Creator of the universe, and its Preserver, through thine only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, for the first-fruits; which are offered to thee, not in such a manner as we ought, but as we are able. For who among men can worthily give thee thanks for those things which thou hast given them to participate? Thou the God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, and of all the saints; who madest all things fruitful by thy Word, and didst command the earth to bring forth various fruits for our rejoicing and our food; who hast given juices to the more dull and sluggish sort of creatures; herbs to them that feed on herbs; and to some, flesh; to others, seeds; but to us, grain, as advantageous and proper food; and many other things; some for our necessities, some for our health, and some for our pleasure. On all these accounts, therefore, thou art worthy of exalted hymns of praise for thy beneficence by Christ; through whom glory, honor, and worship, be to thee, in the Holy Spirit, forever. Amen.
Moreover, concerning those who are at rest in Christ, the Deacon, after he hath bidden the supplications contained in the first prayer for the faithful (that we may not repeat it) , shall add as followeth:
Chapter XLI – Bidding Prayer for those who have fallen asleep
Let us pray for our brethren that are at rest in Christ, that God, the lover of mankind, who hath received the soul of the person departed, may forgive him every sin, voluntary and involuntary; and may be merciful and gracious to him; and give him his lot in the land of the pious, that are sent into the bosom of Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, with all those that have pleased him, and done his will, from the beginning of the world; whence all sorrow, grief, and lamentation, are banished.
Let us arise; and let us dedicate ourselves, and one another, to the eternal God, through that Word which was in the beginning.
And let the Bishop say,
Thou who art by nature immortal, and hast no end of thy being; from whom every creature, whether immortal or mortal, is derived; who didst make man a rational, living creature, the citizen of this world, in his constitution mortal, and didst add the promise of a resurrection; who didst not suffer Enoch and Elias to taste of death; thou, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob; who art the God of them, not as of dead, but as of living persons. For the souls of all men live with thee; and the spirits of the righteous are in thy hand, and no torment can touch them; for they are all sanctified under thy hand. Do thou thyself also now look upon this thy servant, whom thou hast selected and received into another state; and forgive him, if voluntarily or involuntarily he hath sinned; and afford him merciful angels, and place him in the bosom of the patriarchs, and prophets, and apostles, and of all those that have pleased thee from the beginning of the world, where there is no grief, nor sorrow, nor lamentation; but the peaceful region of the godly, the undisturbed land of the upright, and of those that therein see the glory of thy Christ; through whom glory, honor, and worship, thanksgiving and adoration, be to thee in the Holy Spirit, forever. Amen.
And let the Deacon say, Bow down, and receive the blessing.
And let the Bishop give thanks for them, saying as followeth:
Lord, save thy people, and bless thine inheritance, which thou hast purchased with the precious blood of thy Christ. Feed them under thy right hand, and cover them under thy wings; and grant that they may fight the good fight, and finish their course, and keep the faith, firmly, unblamably, and irreproachably, through our Lord Jesus Christ, thy beloved Son; with whom glory, honor, and worship be to thee, in the Holy Spirit, forever. Amen.
Chapter XLI – How and when we ought to celebrate the memory of the faithful departed; and that we ought then to give somewhat out of their goods to the poor
Let the third day of the departed be celebrated with psalms, and lessons, and prayers, on account of him who arose within the space of three days. And let the ninth day be celebrated in remembrance of the living, and of the departed; and the fortieth day, according to the ancient pattern; for so did the people lament Moses, and observe the anniversary in memory of him.
And let alms be given to the poor out of the goods of the person departed, for a memorial of him.
Chapter XLIII – That memorials or mandates do not at all profit those who die wicked
These things we say concerning the pious; for as to the ungodly, thou wilt not benefit such a person at all, if thou give all the world to the poor. For to whom the Deity was an enemy while he was alive, it is certain he will be also when he is departed; for there is no unrighteousness with him. For the Lord is righteous, and hath loved righteousness. And, Behold the man and his work.
Chapter XLIV – Concerning Drunkards
Now when ye are invited to the celebration of the memory of the departed, feast ye with good order and in the fear of God, as disposed to intercede for those that are departed. For since ye are the Presbyters and Deacons of Christ, ye ought always to be sober, both among yourselves and among others; that so ye may be able to warn the unruly. Now the Scripture saith, The men in power are passionate. But let them not drink wine, lest, by drinking, they forget wisdom, and be not able to judge aright. And certainly the Presbyters and the Deacons, after God Almighty and his beloved Son, are rulers of the church. We say this, not that they are not to drink at all; for otherwise it would be to the reproach of what God hath made for cheerfulness; but that they be not disordered with wine. For the Scripture doth not say, Drink not wine. But what saith it? Drink not wine to drunkenness. And again, Thorns spring up in the hand of the drunkard.
Nor do we say this to those only who are of the clergy, but also to every Christian of the laity, upon whom the name of our Lord Jesus Christ is called. For to them also it is said, Who hath woe? Who hath tumult? Who hath contentions and Who hath livid eyes? Who hath wounds without cause? Do not these things belong to those that tarry long at the wine, and that go to seek where there is drinking?
ChapterXLV – Of receiving those that are persecuted for Christ’s sake
Receive ye those that are persecuted on account of the faith, and who flee from city to city, as mindful of the words of the Lord. For knowing that though the spirit be willing, the flesh is weak, they flee away, and prefer the spoiling of their goods, that they may preserve the name of Christ in themselves without denying it. Supply them, therefore, with what they need, and fulfil the Lord’s command.
Chapter XLVI – That everyone ought to remain in that rank in which he is placed, and not seize for himself those offices which are not intrusted to him
Now this we all in common proclaim, that everyone remain in that rank which is appointed him, and transgress not the limits; for they are not ours, but God’s. For saith the Lord, He that heareth you, heareth me; and he that heareth me, heareth Him that sent me. And, He that despiseth you, despiseth me; and he that despiseth me, despiseth Him that sent me. For if those things that are without life observe good order, as the night, the day, the sun, the moon, the stars, the elements, the seasons, the months, the weeks, the days, the hours; and are subservient to the uses appointed them, according to that which is said, Thou hast set them a bound which they shall not pass; and concerning the sea, I have set bounds to it, and have encompassed it with bars and gates; and I said to it, Hitherto shalt thou come, but no further; how much more ought ye not to dare to remove those things which we, according to the will of God, have determined for you? But because many think this a small matter, and venture to confound the orders, and to remove the ordination which belongeth to them severally, snatching to themselves in a stealthy manner dignities which were never given them, and allowing themselves to bestow arbitrarily that authority which they have not themselves, and thereby provoke God to anger (as did the followers of Corah and King Uzziah, who, having no authority, usurped the High Priesthood, without commission from God; and the former were burnt with fire, and the latter was struck with leprosy in his forehead); and exasperate Christ Jesus, who hath made the constitution; and also grieve the Holy Spirit, and make void his testimony; therefore foreknowing the danger that hangeth over those who do such things, and the neglect about the sacrifices and eucharistical offices which will arise from their being impiously offered by those who ought not to offer them; who think the honor of the High Priesthood, which is an imitation of the great High Priest Jesus Christ our king, to be a matter of sport we have found it necessary to give you warning in this matter also; for some are already turned aside after their own vanity.
We say that Moses, the servant of God (to whom God spake face to face, as if a man spake to his friend; to whom he said, I know thee above all men; to whom he spake directly, and not by obscure methods, or dreams, or angels, or enigmas) this person, when he made constitutions and divine laws, distinguished what things were to be performed by the High Priests, what by the Priests, and what by the Levites; distributing to everyone his proper and suitable office in the divine service. And those things which were allotted for the High Priests to do, might not be meddled with by the Priests; and those things which were allotted to the Priests might not be meddled with by the Levites; but the persons of each order observed those ministrations which were written down and appointed for them. And if anyone would meddle beyond the tradition, death was his punishment.
Moreover, the experience of Saul showeth this most plainly, who, thinking that he might offer sacrifice without the Prophet and High Priest Samuel, drew upon himself a sin and a curse without remedy. Nor did even his having anointed him king discourage the Prophet. Besides, God showed the same by a more visible effect in the case of Uzziah, when, without delay, he exacted the punishment due to his transgression; and he that madly coveted after the High Priesthood was rejected even from his kingdom.
As to those things which have happened among us, ye yourselves are not ignorant. For ye know perfectly that those who are by us named Bishops, and Presbyters, and Deacons, were made by prayer and by the laying-on of hands; and that by the difference of the names, is indicated the difference of their employments. For not everyone that will is ordained, as the case was in that spurious and counterfeit Priesthood of the calves under Jeroboam. For if there were no rule, or distinction of orders, it would suffice to perform all the offices under one name. But being taught by the Lord the series of things, we distributed the functions of the High Priesthood to the Bishops, those of the Priesthood to the Presbyters, and the ministration under them both to the Deacons; that the divine worship might be performed in purity.
For it is not lawful for a Deacon to offer the sacrifice, or to baptize, or to give the blessing, either small or great. Nor may a Presbyter perform ordination; for it is not agreeable to holiness to have order overturned. For God is not the author of confusion, that the subordinate persons should arbitrarily assume to themselves the functions belonging to their superiors, forming a new scheme of laws to their own hurt, not knowing that it is hard for men to kick against the pricks. For such as these do not fight against us, nor against the Bishops, but against the universal Bishop, even the High Priest of the Father, Jesus Christ our Lord.
High Priests, Priests, and Levites, were ordained by Moses, the most beloved of God. By our Saviour, we, the thirteen Apostles, were ordained; and by the Apostles, I James, and I Clement, and others with us (that we may not make the catalogue of all those Bishops over again). Moreover, by us all in common were ordained Presbyters, and Deacons, and subdeacons, and Readers.
The most eminent High Priest, therefore, who is so by nature, is Christ the Only-begotten; not having seized that honor for himself, but having been by the Father appointed; who, being made man for our sake, and offering the spiritual sacrifice to his God and Father, before his suffering, gave it to us alone in charge to do this; although there were with us others who had believed in him. But he that believeth is not presently appointed a Priest, nor obtaineth the dignity of the High Priesthood. And after his ascension we offered, according to his constitution, the pure and unbloody sacrifice; and ordained Bishops, and Presbyters, and Deacons seven in number; one of whom was Stephen, the blessed martyr, who was not inferior to us, as to his pious disposition of mind towards God; and who manifested so great piety by his faith and love towards our Lord Jesus Christ, as to give his life for him; and was stoned to death by the Jews, the murderers of the Lord. But, nevertheless, this man, such and so great, who was fervent in spirit; who saw Christ on the right hand of God, and the gates of heaven opened, doth nowhere appear to have exercised functions which did not appertain to his office of a Deacon, nor to have offered the sacrifices, nor to have laid hands upon any, but to have kept his order of a Deacon unto the end. For so it became him, who was a martyr for Christ, to preserve good order. But if some blame Philip our Deacon, and Ananias our faithful brother, that the one baptized the eunuch, and the other me Paul, these men do not understand what we say. For we have affirmed only that no one snatcheth the sacerdotal dignity to himself, but receiveth it, either from God, as Melchisedek and Job, or from the High Priest, as Aaron from Moses. Therefore, Philip and Ananias did not constitute themselves, but were appointed by Christ, the High Priest of that God to whom no being is to be compared.
Chapter XLVII – The Ecclesiastical CANONS of the same holy Apostles
Canon Numbers
Let a Bishop be ordained by two or three Bishops.
Let a Presbyter be ordained by one Bishop; as also a Deacon and the rest of the clergy.
If any Bishop or Presbyter, contrary to what our Lord hath ordained concerning the sacrifice, offer any other things at the altar of God, as honey, or milk, or strong drink instead of wine, or sweet meats, or birds, or any animals, or pulse, let the transgressor be deposed.
Except grains of new corn, or bunches of grapes, in their season, and oil for the holy lamp, and incense in the time of the divine oblation, let it not be lawful that anything be brought to the altar.
But let all other fruits be sent to the house of the Bishop, as first-fruits for him and for the Presbyters, but not to the altar. Now it is plain that the Bishop and the Presbyters are to divide them to the Deacons, and to the rest of the clergy.
Let not a Bishop, or a Presbyter, or a Deacon, cast off his own wife, under pretence of piety; but if he cast her off, let him be suspended. If he continue to do it, let him be deposed.
Let not a Bishop, or a Presbyter, or a Deacon, undertake the cares of this world; but if he do, let him be deposed.
If any Bishop, or Presbyter, or Deacon, shall celebrate the holy day of the Passover before the vernal equinox, with the Jews, let him be deposed.
If any Bishop, or Presbyter, or Deacon, or anyone of the catalogue of the priesthood, when an oblation is made, do not communicate, let him mention his reason; and if it be just, let him be forgiven; but if he do not mention it, let him be suspended, as becoming a cause of damage to the people, and occasioning a suspicion against him that offered.
All those of the faithful that enter into the holy church of God, and hear the Sacred Scriptures, but do not stay during prayer and the holy communion, must be suspended, as causing disorder in the church.
If anyone, even privately, pray with a person excommunicated, let him be suspended.
If any clergyman pray with one deposed, as with a clergyman, let him also himself be deposed.
If any clergyman or layman who is suspended, or ought not to be received, go away, and be received in another city, without commendatory letters, let both those who have received him, and him that is received, be suspended. But if he be already suspended, let the suspension be prolonged upon him, as lying to and deceiving the church of God.
A Bishop ought not to leave his own parish and leap into another, although he should be urged by very many, unless there be some reasonable cause compelling him to do this, as the prospect of greater usefulness; and this not merely in his own estimation, but also according to the judgment of many Bishops, and the most urgent entreaty.
If any Presbyter or Deacon, or anyone of the catalogue of the clergy, leave his own parish, and go to another, and, entirely removing himself, continue in that other parish, without the consent of his own Bishop, him we command no longer to go on in his ministry; especially in case his Bishop call upon him to return, and he do not obey, but continue in disorder. However, let him communicate there as a layman.
But if the Bishop with whom they are, disregard the deprivation decreed against them, and receive them as clergymen, let him be suspended, as a teacher of disorder.
He who hath been twice married after his baptism, or hath had a concubine, cannot be a Bishop, or a Presbyter, or a Deacon, or anyone of the sacerdotal catalogue.
He who hath married a divorced woman, or a harlot, or a servant, or one belonging to the theatre, cannot be a Bishop, or a Presbyter, or a Deacon, or anyone of the sacerdotal catalogue.
He who hath married two sisters, or his brother’s or sister’s daughter, cannot be a clergyman.
Let a clergyman who becometh a surety, be deposed.
A eunuch, if he be such by the injury of men, or his testicles were taken away in a persecution, or he was born such, and yet is worthy, let him be made a Bishop.
He who hath mutilated himself, let him not be made a clergyman; for he is a self-murderer, and an enemy to the creation of God.
If anyone who is of the clergy mutilate himself, let him be deposed; for he is a murderer of himself.
If a layman mutilate himself, let him be suspended three years.
A Bishop, or Presbyter, or Deacon, who is taken in fornication, or perjury, or stealing, let him be deposed, and not suspended; for the Scripture saith, Thou shalt not avenge twice for the same crime, by affliction.
In like manner also, the rest of the clergy.
Of those who come into the clergy unmarried, we permit only the Readers and the Singers, if they have a mind, to marry afterwards.
We command that a Bishop, or Presbyter, or Deacon, who striketh the faithful that offend, or the unbelievers who do wickedly, and thinketh to terrify them by such means, be deposed; for our Lord hath nowhere taught us such things. On the contrary, when he himself was stricken, he did not strike again; when he was reviled, he reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not.
If any Bishop, or Presbyter, or Deacon, who is deposed justly for manifest crimes, venture to meddle with that ministration which was once intrusted to him, let him be entirely cut off from the church.
If any Bishop obtain by money that dignity, or a Presbyter, or a Deacon, let him, and the person who ordained him, be deposed; and let him be entirely cut off from communion, as Simon Magus was by me Peter.
If any Bishop make use of the rulers of this world, and by their means obtain the power over a church, let him be deposed, and let all that communicate with him be suspended.
If any Presbyter despise his own Bishop, and make a separate assembly, and fix another altar, when he hath nothing to condemn in his Bishop, as to piety and righteousness, let him be deposed, as an ambitious person; for he is a tyrant; and the rest of the clergy, as many as join themselves to him. And let the laity be suspended. But let these things be done after one, and a second, and a third admonition from the Bishop.
If any Presbyter or Deacon be put under suspension by his Bishop, it is not lawful for any other to receive him than the Bishop who put him under suspension, unless it happen that this Bishop die.
Do not receive any stranger, whether Bishop, or Presbyter, or Deacon, without commendatory letters; and even when such are presented, let the strangers be examined; and if they be preachers of piety, let them be received; but if not, supply their wants, but do not receive them to communion; for manythings are done by surprise.
The Bishops of each province ought to know who is the chief among them, and to esteem him as their head, and not to do any great thing without his consent; but every one to manage only the affairs that belong to his own parish, and the places subject to it. But neither let the chief Bishop do anything without the consent of all; for thus there will be unanimity, and God will be glorified by Christ, in the Holy Spirit.
A Bishop must not venture to ordain out of his own bounds, for cities or countries that are not subject to him. But if he be convicted of having done so, without the consent of such as govern those cities or countries, let him be deposed, and those whom he hath ordained.
If any Bishop that is ordained do not undertake his office, nor take care of the people committed to him, let him be suspended until he do undertake it; and, in like manner, a Presbyter and a Deacon. But if he go, and be not received, not because of the want of his own consent, but because of the ill-temper of the people, let him continue Bishop; but let the clergy of that city be suspended, because they have not taught that disobedient people better.
Let a council of Bishops be held twice in the year; and let them ask one another the doctrines of piety; and let them determine the ecclesiastical disputes that happen: once in the fourth week of Pentecost, and again on the twelfth of October.
Let the Bishops have the care of all the ecclesiastical possessions, and administer them as in the presence of God. But it is not lawful for him to appropriate any part of them to himself, or to give the things of God to his own kindred. But if they be poor, let him support them as poor; but let him not, under such pretences, alienate the property of the church.
Let not the Presbyters and Deacons do anything without the consent of the Bishop; for it is he who is intrusted with the people of the Lord, and will be required to give an account of their souls.
Let the proper goods of the Bishop, if he have any, and those belonging to the Lord, be openly distinguished; that he may have power, when he dieth, to leave his own goods as he may please, and to whom he may please; that, under pretence of the ecclesiastical revenues, the Bishop’s own may not come short, who sometimes hath a wife and children, or kindred, or servants. For this is just before God and men, that neither the church suffer any loss by ignorance of the affairs of the Bishop; nor his kindred, under pretence of the church, be injured, or his relations fall into lawsuits, and so his death be liable to reproach.
We command that the Bishop have power over the goods of the church; for if he be intrusted with the precious souls of men, much more ought he to give directions about goods, that, under his authority, they all be distributed by the Presbyters and Deacons to those in want, and be administered in the fear of God, and with all pious caution. He is also to partake of those things he needeth (if he need) for his necessary occasions, and those of the brethren who live with him, that they may not, by any means, suffer destitution. For the law of God appointed that those who waited at the altar should be maintained by the altar; since not so much as a soldier, at any time, beareth arms against the enemies, at his own charges.
If a Bishop, or Presbyter, or Deacon, indulge himself in dice or in excessive drinking, either let him leave off those practices, or let him be deposed.
If a Subdeacon, or a Reader, or a Singer, do the like, either let him leave off, or let him be suspended. In like manner also, a layman.
If a Bishop, or a Presbyter, or a Deacon, require usury of those to whom he lendeth, either let him leave off to do so, or let him be deposed.
If a Bishop, or a Presbyter, or a Deacon, only pray with heretics, let him be suspended; but if he also permit them to perform any part of the office of a clergyman, let him be deposed.
We command that a Bishop, or a Presbyter, or a Deacon, who receiveth the baptism or the sacrifice of heretics, be deposed; for what agreement is there between Christ and Belial? what part hath a believer with an infidel?
If a Bishop or a Presbyter rebaptize him who hath had true baptism, or do not baptize him who is polluted by the ungodly, let him be deposed, as ridiculing the cross and the death of Christ, and not distinguishing real priests from counterfeit ones.
If any layman divorce his own wife, and take another, or one divorced by another, let him be suspended.
If any Bishop or Presbyter do not baptize, according to the Lord’s constitution, into the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Ghost, but into three beings without beginning, or into three Sons, or into three Comforters, let him be deposed.
If any Bishop or Presbyter do not perform three immersions of one initiation, but one immersion which is given into the death of Christ, let him be deposed; for the Lord did not say, Baptize into my death; but, Go ye and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Do ye, therefore, Bishops, baptize thrice into one Father, and Son, and Holy Ghost, according to the will of Christ and our constitution by the Spirit.
If any Bishop, or Presbyter, or Deacon, or indeed anyone of the sacerdotal catalogue, abstain from flesh and wine, not for his own exercise, but out of hatred of the things, forgetting that all things were very good, and that God made man male and female, and blasphemously abuse the creation, either let him reform or let him be deposed, and be cast out of the church. In like manner also, let a layman be disciplined.
If any Bishop or Presbyter do not receive him that returneth from his sin, but reject him, let him be deposed; because he grieveth Christ, who saith, There is joy in heaven over one sinner that repenteth.
If any Bishop, or Presbyter, or Deacon, do not, on festival days, partake of flesh or wine (abominating them, and not for his exercise), let him be deposed, as having a seared conscience, and becoming a cause of scandal to many.
If anyone of the clergy be taken eating in a tavern, let him be suspended; excepting when, by necessity, he stoppeth at an inn upon the road.
If anyone of the clergy abuse his Bishop, let him be deposed; for thou shalt not speak evil of the ruler of thy people.
If anyone of the clergy abuse a Presbyter or a Deacon, let him be suspended.
If anyone of the clergy mock at a lame, or deaf, or blind man, or at one afflicted in his feet, let him be suspended. And the like for the laity.
If a Bishop or a Presbyter take no care of the clergy or the people, and do not instruct them in piety, let him be suspended; and if he continue in his negligence, let him be deposed.
If any Bishop or Presbyter, when anyone of the clergy is in want, do not supply his necessity, let him be suspended; and if he persevere, let him be deposed, as having killed his brother.
If anyone publicly read in the church the spurious books of the ungodly, as if they were holy, to the destruction of the people and of the clergy, let him be deposed.
If there be an accusation against a Christian for fornication, or adultery, or any other forbidden action, and he be convicted, let him not be promoted into the clergy.
If anyone of the clergy, for fear of men, as of a Jew, or of a Gentile, or of a heretic, shall deny the name of Christ, let him be suspended; but if he deny the name of a clergyman, let him be deposed; but when he repenteth, let him be received as a layman.
If any Bishop, or Presbyter, or Deacon, or indeed anyone of the sacerdotal catalogue, eat flesh with the blood of its life, or that which is torn by beasts, or which died of itself, let him be deposed; for this the law hath forbidden; but if he be a layman, let him be suspended.
If anyone of the clergy be found to fast on the Lord’s day, or on the Sabbath, excepting one only, let him be deposed; but if the person be a layman, let him be suspended.
If any clergyman or layman enter into a synagogue of the Jews or of the heretics to pray, let him be deposed and suspended.
If any of the clergy strike one in a quarrel, and kill him by that one stroke, let him be deposed, on account of his rashness; but if the offender be a layman, let him be suspended.
If anyone violate a virgin not betrothed, and keep her, let him be suspended. Moreover, it is not lawful for him to marry another, but he must retain her whom he hath chosen, although she be poor.
If any Bishop, or Presbyter, or Deacon, receive a second ordination from anyone, let him be deposed, and the man who ordained him, unless he can show that his former ordination was from the heretics; for those that are either baptized or ordained by such as these, can be neither Christians nor clergymen.
If any Bishop, or Presbyter, or Deacon, or Reader, or Singer, do not keep the holy Quadragesimal fast, or do not fast on the fourth day of the week, or on the Preparation, let him be deposed, unless he be hindered by weakness of body; but if the offender be a layman, let him be suspended.
If any Bishop, or any other of the clergy, fast with the Jews, or keep the festivals with them, or accept of the presents from their festivals, as unleavened bread, or any such thing, let him be deposed; but if the offender be a layman, let him be suspended.
If any Christian carry oil into a heathen temple, or into a synagogue of the Jews, or light up lamps in their festivals, let him be suspended.
If any clergyman or layman take away wax or oil from the holy church, let him be suspended, and let him add a fifth part to that which he took away.
A vessel of silver or of gold, or linen, that has been consecrated, let no one appropriate to his own use; for it is unjust: but if anyone be caught, let him be punished with suspension.
If a Bishop be accused of any crime by credible and faithful persons, it is necessary that he be cited by the Bishops; and if he come, and confess, or be convicted, let his punishment be determined. But if, when he is cited, he do not obey, let him be cited a second time, two Bishops being sent to him; but if then he despise them, and will not come, let the council pass what sentence they please against him; that he may not appear to gain advantage by avoiding their judgment.
Admit not a heretic for a testimony against a.Bishop, nor indeed one Christian only; for the law saith, In the mouth of two or three witnesses, every word shall be established.
A Bishop must not, by human affection, confer favors on a brother, or a son, or other kinsman; for we must not put the church of God under the laws of inheritance; but if anyone shall do this, let the ordination be invalid, and let him be punished with suspension.
If anyone be maimed in an eye, or lame of his leg, but is worthy, let him be made a Bishop; for it is not a blemish of the body that can defile him, but the pollution of the soul.
But if he be deaf and blind, let him not be made a Bishop; not as being a defiled person, but that the ecclesiastical affairs may not be hindered.
If anyone have a demon, let him not be made one of the clergy. Nay, let him not pray with the faithful; but when he is cleansed, let him be received; and if he be worthy, let him be ordained.
It is not right to appoint him a Bishop immediately who is just come in from the Gentiles, and baptized, or from a bad mode of life; for it is unjust that he who hath not yet afforded any trial of himself should be a teacher of others, unless it anywhere happen by divine grace.
We have said that a Bishop ought not to let himself down to civil offices, but to occupy himself with the necessary affairs of the church. Either, therefore, let him be persuaded not to do so, or let him be deposed; for no one can serve two masters according to the Lord’s admonition.
That servants be chosen into the clergy without their master’s consent, we do not permit, on account of the grief of the owners. For such a practice would occasion the subversion of families. But if at any time a servant appear worthy of advancement to ordination, as our Onesimus appeared, and his masters consent, and give him his freedom, and dismiss him from their house, let him be ordained.
Let a Bishop, or Presbyter, or Deacon, who indulgeth himself in military service, and desireth to retain both the Roman magistracy and the sacerdotal administration, be deposed; for the things of Caesar belong to Caesar, and the things of God to God.
Whosoever shall abuse a king or a governor, let him suffer punishment; and if he be a clergyman, let him be deposed; but if he be a layman, let him be suspended.
Let the following books be esteemed venerable and holy by you all, both of the clergy and of the laity: Of the Old Covenant, the five books of Moses, Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy; one of Joshua, the son of Nun; one of the Judges; one of Ruth; four of the Kings; two of the Chronicles; two of Esra; one of Esther; one of Judith; three of the Maccabees; one of Job; one of the Psalms; three of Solomon, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and the Song of Songs; of the Twelve Prophets, one; of Isaiah, one; of Jeremiah, one; of Ezekiel, one; of Daniel, one. And besides these, take care that your young persons learn the Wisdom of the very learned Sirach. But our sacred books, that is, those of the New Covenant, are these: The four Gospels, of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John; fourteen epistles of Paul; two epistles of Peter; three of John; one of James; one of Jude; two epistles of Clement, and the Constitutions dedicated to you the Bishops, by me Clement, in eight books, which it is not proper to publish before all, because of the mysteries contained in them; and the Acts of us, the Apostles.
Let these canonical arrangements be established by us, for you, ye Bishops; and if ye continue to observe them, ye shall be saved, and shall have peace; but if ye be disobedient, ye shall be punished, and have perpetual war, one with another, undergoing a penalty suitable to your disobedience.
Now God who alone is unbegotten, and the Maker of the whole world, unite you all through his peace, in the Holy Spirit; perfect you unto every good work, immovable, unblamable, and unreprovable; and vouchsafe to you eternal life, with us, through the mediation of his beloved Son, Jesus Christ, our God and Saviour; with whom glory be to him, the God and Father over all, in the Holy Spirit, the Comforter, now, and always, and forever and ever. Amen.
End of Book VIII
END OF APOSTOLIC CONSTITIONS
BARNABAS
CHAPTER I.--AFTER THE SALUTATION, THE WRITER DECLARES THAT HE WOULD COMMUNICATE TO HIS BRETHREN SOMETHING OF THAT WHICH HE HAD HIMSELF RECEIVED.
All hail, ye sons and daughters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, who loved us in peace.
Seeing that the divine fruits of righteousness abound among you, I rejoice exceedingly and above measure in your happy and honoured spirits, because ye have with such effect received the engrafted spiritual gift. Wherefore also I inwardly rejoice the more, hoping to be saved, because I truly perceive in you the Spirit poured forth from the rich Lord s of love. Your greatly desired appearance has thus filled me with astonishment over you. I am therefore pursuaded of this, and fully convinced in my own mind, that since I began to speak among you I understand many things, because the Lord hath accompanied me in the way of righteousness. I am also on this account bound by the strictest obligation to love you above my own soul, because great are the faith and love dwelling in you, while you hope for the life which He has promised. Considering this, therefore, that if I should take the trouble to communicate to you some portion of what I have myself received, it will prove to me a sufficient reward that I minister to such spirits, I have hastened briefly to write unto you, in order that, along with your faith, ye might have perfect knowledge. The doctrines of the Lord, then, are three: the hope of life, the beginning and the completion of it. For the Lord hath made known to us by the prophets both the things which are past and present, giving us also the first-fruits of the knowledge of things to come, which things as we see accomplished, one by one, we ought with the greater richness of faith and elevation of spirit to draw near to Him with reverence. I then, not as your teacher, but as one of yourselves, will set forth a few things by which in present circumstances ye may be rendered the more joyful.
CHAPTER II -- THE JEWISH SACRIFICES ARE NOW ABOLISHED.
Since, therefore, the days are evil, and Satan possesses the power of this world, we ought to give heed to ourselves, and diligently inquire into the ordinances of the Lord. Fear and patience, then, are helpers of our faith; and long-suffering and continence are things which fight on our side. While these remain pure in what respects the Lord, Wisdom, Understanding, Science, and Knowledge rejoice along with them. For He hath revealed to us by all the prophets that He needs neither sacrifices, nor burnt-offerings, nor oblations, saying thus, "What is the multitude of your sacrifices unto Me, saith the Lord? I am full of burnt-offerings, and desire not the fat of lambs, and the blood of bulls and goats, not when ye come to appear before Me: for who hath required these things at your hands? Tread no more My courts, not though ye bring with you fine flour. Incense is a vain abomination unto Me, and your new moons and sabbaths I cannot endure." He has therefore abolished these things, that the new law of our Lord Jesus Christ, which is without the yoke of necessity, might have a human oblation. And again He says to them, "Did I command your fathers, when they went out from the land of Egypt, to offer unto Me burnt-offerings and sacrifices? But this rather I commanded them, Let no one of you cherish any evil in his heart against his neighbour, and love not an oath of falsehood." We ought therefore, being possessed of understanding, to perceive the gracious intention of our Father; for He speaks to us, desirous that we, not going astray like them, should ask how we may approach Him. To us, then, He declares, "A sacrifice [pleasing] to God is a broken spirit; a smell of sweet savour to the Lord is a heart that glorifieth Him that made it." We ought therefore, brethren, carefully to inquire concerning our salvation, lest the wicked one, having made his entrance by deceit, should huff us forth from our [true] life.
CHAPTER III.--THE FASTS OF THE JEWS ARE NOT TRUE FASTS, NOR ACCEPTABLE TO GOD.
He says then to them again concerning these things, "Why do ye fast to Me as on this day, saith the Lord, that your voice should be heard with a cry? I have not chosen this fast, saith the Lord, that a man should humble his soul. Nor, though ye bend your neck like a ring, and put upon you sackcloth and ashes, will ye call it an acceptable fast." To us He saith, "Behold, this is the fast that I have chosen, saith the Lord, not that a man should humble his soul, but that he should loose every band of iniquity, untie the fastenings of harsh agreements, restore to liberty them that are bruised, tear in pieces every unjust engagement, feed the hungry with thy bread, clothe the naked when thou seest him, bring the homeless into thy house, not despise the humble if thou behold him, and not [turn away] from the members of thine own family. Then shall thy dawn break forth, and thy healing shall quickly spring up, and righteousness shall go forth before thee, and the glory of God shall encompass thee; and then thou shalt call, and God shall hear thee; whilst thou art yet speaking, He shall say, Behold, I am with thee; if thou take away from thee the chain [binding others], and the stretching forth of the hands [to sweat falsely], and words of murmuring, and give cheerfully thy bread to the hungry, and show compassion to the soul that has been humbled." To this end, therefore, brethren, He is long-suffering, foreseeing how the people whom He has prepared shall with guilelessness believe in His Beloved. For He revealed all these things to us beforehand, that we should not rush forward as rash acceptors of their laws.
CHAPTER IV.--ANTICHRIST IS AT HAND: LET US THEREFORE AVOID JEWISH ERRORS.
It therefore behoves us, who inquire much concerning events at hand, to search diligently into those things which are able to save us. Let us then utterly flee from all the works of iniquity, lest these should take hold of us; and let us hate the error of the present time, that we may set our love on the world to come: let us not give loose reins to our soul, that it should have power to run with sinners and the wicked, lest we become like them. The final stumbling-block (or source of danger) approaches, concerning which it is written, as Enoch says, "For for this end the Lord has cut short the times and the days, that His Beloved may hasten; and He will come to the inheritance." And the prophet also speaks thus: "Ten kingdoms shall reign upon the earth, and a little king shall rise up after them, who shall subdue under one three of the kings. In like manner Daniel says concerning the same, "And I beheld the fourth beast, wicked and powerful, and more savage than all the beasts of the earth, and how from it sprang up ten horns, and out of them a little budding horn, and how it subdued under one three of the great horns." Ye ought therefore to understand. And this also I further beg of you, as being one of you, and loving you both individually and collectively more than my own soul, to take heed now to yourselves, and not to be like some, adding largely to your sins, and saying, "The covenant is both theirs and ours." But they thus finally lost it, after Moses had already received it. For the Scripture saith, "And Moses was fasting in the mount forty days and forty nights, and received the covenant from the Lord, tables of stone written with the finger of the hand of the Lord;" but turning away to idols, they lost it. For the Lord speaks thus to Moses: "Moses go down quickly; for the people whom thou hast brought out of the land of Egypt have transgressed." And Moses understood [the meaning of God], and cast the two tables out of his hands; and their covenant was broken, in order that the covenant of the beloved Jesus might be sealed upon our heart, in the hope which flows from believing in Him. Now, being desirous to write many things to you, not as your teacher, but as becometh one who loves you, I have taken care not to fail to write to you from what I myself possess, with a view to your purification. We take earnest heed in these last days; for the whole [past] time of your faith will profit you nothing, unless now in this wicked time we also withstand coming sources of danger, as becometh the sons of God. That the Black One may find no means of entrance, let us flee from every vanity, let us utterly hate the works of the way of wickedness. Do not, by retiring apart, live a solitary life, as if you were already [fully] justified; but coming together in one place, make common inquiry concerning what tends to your general welfare. For the Scripture saith, "Woe to them who are wise to themselves, and prudent in their own sight!" Let us be spiritually-minded: let us be a perfect temple to God. As much as in us lies, let us meditate upon the fear of God, and let us keep His commandments, that we may rejoice in His ordinances. The Lord will judge the world without respect of persons. Each will receive as he has done: if he is righteous, his righteousness will precede him; if he is wicked, the reward of wickedness is before him. Take heed, lest resting at our ease, as those who are the called [of God], we should fall asleep in our sins, and the wicked prince, acquiring power over us, should thrust us away from the kingdom of the Lord. And all the more attend to this, my brethren, when ye reflect and behold, that after so great signs and wonders were wrought in Israel, they were thus [at length] abandoned. Let us beware lest we be found [fulfilling that saying], as it is written, "Many are called, but few are chosen."
CHAPTER V.--THE NEW COVENANT, FOUNDED ON THE SUFFERINGS OF CHRIST, TENDS TO OUR SALVATION, BUT TO THE JEWS' DESTRUCTION.
For to this end the Lord endured to deliver up His flesh to corruption, that we might be sanctified through the remission of sins, which is effected by His blood of sprinkling. For it is written concerning Him, partly with reference to Israel, and partly to us; and [the Scripture] saith thus: "He was wounded for our transgressions, and braised for our iniquities: with His stripes we are healed. He was brought as a sheep to the slaughter, and as a lamb which is dumb before its shearer." Therefore we ought to be deeply grateful to the Lord, because He has both made known to us things that are past, and hath given us wisdom concerning things present, and hath not left us without understanding in regard to things which are to come. Now, the Scripture saith, "Not unjustly are nets spread out for birds." This means that the man perishes justly, who, having a knowledge of the way of righteousness, rushes off into the way of darkness. And further, my brethren: if the Lord endured to suffer for our soul, He being Lord of all the world, to whom God said at the foundation of the world, "Let us make man after our image, and after our likeness," understand how it was that He endured to suffer at the hand of men. The prophets, having obtained grace from Him, prophesied concerning Him. And He (since it behoved Him to appear in flesh), that He might abolish death, and reveal the resurrection from the dead, endured [what and as He did], in order that He might fulfill the promise made unto the fathers, and by preparing a new people for Himself, might show, while He dwelt on earth, that He, when He has raised mankind, will also judge them. Moreover, teaching Israel, and doing so great miracles and signs, He preached [the truth] to him, and greatly loved him. But when He chose His own apostles who where to preach His Gospel, [He did so from among those] who were sinners above all sin, that He might show He came "not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance." Then He manifested Himself to be the Son of God. For if He had not come in the flesh, how could men have been saved by beholding Him? Since looking upon the sun which is to cease to exist, and is the work of His hands, their eyes are not able to bear his rays. The Son of God therefore came in the flesh with this view, that He might bring to a head the sum of their sins who had persecuted His prophets to the death. For this purpose, then, He endured. For God saith, "The stroke of his flesh is from them;" and "when I shall smite the Shepherd, then the sheep of the flock shall be scattered." He himself willed thus to suffer, for it was necessary that He should suffer on the tree. For says he Who prophesies regarding Him, "Spare my soul from the sword, fasten my flesh with nails; for the assemblies of the wicked have risen up against me." And again he says, "Behold, I have given my back to scourges, and my cheeks to strokes, and I have set my countenance as a firm rock."
CHAPTER VI.--THE SUFFERINGS OF CHRIST, AND THE NEW COVENANT, WERE ANNOUNCED BY THE PROPHETS.
When, therefore, He has fulfilled the commandment, what saith He? "Who is he that will contend with Me? let him oppose Me: or who is he that will enter into judgment with Me? let him draw near to the servant of the Lord." "Woe unto you, for ye shall all wax old, like a garment, and the moth shall eat you up." And again the prophet says, "Since as a mighty stone He is laid for crushing, behold I cast down for the foundations of Zion a stone, precious, elect, a corner-stone, honourable." Next, what says He? "And he who shall trust" in it shall live for ever." Is our hope, then, upon a stone? Far from it. But [the language is used] inasmuch as He laid his flesh [as a foundation] with power; for He says, "And He placed me as a firm rock." And the prophet says again, "The stone which the builders rejected, the same has become the head of the corner." And again he says, "This is the great and wonderful day which the Lord hath made. I write the more simply unto you, that ye may understand. I am the off-scouring of your love. What, then, again says the prophet? "The assembly of the wicked surrounded me; they encompassed me as bees do a honeycomb," and "upon my garment they cast lots." Since, therefore, He was about to be manifested and to suffer in the flesh, His suffering was foreshown. For the prophet speaks against Israel, "Woe to their soul, because they have counselted an evil counsel against themselves, saying, Let us bind the just one, because he is displeasing to us." And Moses also says to them, "Behold these things, saith the Lord God: Enter into the good land which the Lord sware [to give] to Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and inherit ye it, a land flowing with milk and honey." What, then, says Knowledge? Learn: "Trust," she says, "in Him who is to be manifested to you in the flesh--that is, Jesus." For man is earth in a suffering state, for the formation of Adam was from the face of the earth. What, then, meaneth this: "into the good land, a land flowing with milk and honey?" Blessed be our Lord, who has placed in us wisdom and understanding of secret things. For the prophet says, "Who shall understand the parable of the Lord, except him who is wise and prudent, and who loves his Lord?" Since, therefore, having renewed us by the remission of our sins, He hath made us after another pattern, [it is His purpose] that we should possess the soul of children, inasmuch as He has created us anew by His Spirit. For the Scripture says concerning us, while He speaks to the Son, "Let Us make man after Our image, and after Our likeness; and let them have dominion over the beasts of the earth, and the fowls of heaven, and the fishes of the sea." And the Lord said, on beholding the fair creature man, "Increase, and multiply, and replenish the earth." These things [were spoken] to the Son. Again, I will show thee how, in respect to us, He has accomplished a second fashioning in these last days. The Lord says, "Behold, I will make the last like the first." In reference to this, then, the prophet proclaimed, "Enter ye into the land flowing with milk and honey, and have dominion over it." Behold, therefore, we have been refashioned, as again He says in another prophet, "Behold, saith the Lord, I will take away from these, that is, from those whom the Spirit of the Lord foresaw, their stony hearts, and I will put hearts of flesh within them," because He was to be manifested in flesh, and to sojourn among us. For, my brethren, the habitation of our heart is a holy temple to the Lord. For again saith the Lord, "And wherewith shall I appear before the Lord my God, and be glorified?" He says, "I will confess to thee in the Church in the midst of my brethren; and I will praise thee in the midst of the assembly of the saints." We, then, are they whom He has led into the good land. What, then, mean milk and honey? This, that as the infant is kept alive first by honey, and then by milk, so also we, being quickened and kept alive by the faith of the promise and by the word, shall live ruling over the earth. But He said above, "Let them increase, and nile over the fishes." Who then is able to govern the beasts, or the fishes, or the fowls of heaven? For we ought to perceive that to govern implies authority, so that one should command and rule. If, therefore, this does not exist at present, yet still He has promised it to us. When? When we ourselves also have been made perfect [so as] to become heirs of the covenant of the Lord."
CHAPTER VII.--FASTING, AND THE GOAT SENT AWAY, WERE TYPES OF CHRIST.
Understand, then, ye children of gladness, that the good Lord has foreshown all things to us, that we might know to whom we ought for everything to render thanksgiving and praise. If therefore the Son of God, who is Lord all things], and who will judge the living and the dead, suffered, that His stroke might give us life, let us believe that the Son of God could not have suffered except for our sakes. Moreover, when fixed to the cross, He had given Him to drink vinegar and gall. Hearken how the priests of the people gave previous indications of this. His commandment having been written, the Lord enjoined, that whosoever did not keep the fast should be put to death, because He also Himself was to offer in sacrifice for our sins the vessel of the Spirit, in order that the type established in Isaac when he was offered upon the altar might be fully accomplished. What, then, says He in the prophet? "And let them eat of the goat which is offered, with fasting, for all their sins." Attend carefully: "And let all the priests alone eat the inwards, unwashed with vinegar." Wherefore? Because to me, who am to offer my flesh for the sins of my new people, ye are to give gall with vinegar to drink: eat ye alone, while the people fast and mourn in sackcloth and ashes. [These things were done] that He might show that it was necessary for Him to suffer for them. How, then, ran the commandment? Give your attention. Take two goats of goodly aspect, and similar to each other, and offer them. And let the priest take one as a burnt-offering for sins. And what should they do with the other? "Accursed," says He, "is the one." Mark how the type of Jesus now comes out. "And all of you spit upon it, and pierce it, and encircle its head with scarlet wool, and thus let it be driven into the wilderness." And when all this has been done, he who bears the goat brings it into the desert, and takes the wool off from it, and places that upon a shrub which is called Rachia, of which also we are accustomed to eat the fruits when we find them in the field. Of this kind of shrub alone the fruits are sweet. Why then, again, is this? Give good heed. [You see] "one upon the altar, and the other accursed;" and why [do you behold] the one that is accursed crowned? Because they shall see Him then in that day having a scarlet robe about his body down to his feet; and they shall say, Is not this He whom we once despised, and pierced, and mocked, and crucified? Truly this is He who then declared Himself to be the Son of God. For how like is He to Him! With a view to this, [He required] the goats to be of goodly aspect, and similar, that, when they see Him then coming, they may be amazed by the likeness of the goat. Behold, then, the type of Jesus who was to suffer. But why is it that they place the wool in the midst of thorns? It is a type of Jesus set before the view of the Church. [They place the wool among thorns], that any one who wishes to bear it away may find it necessary to suffer much, because the thorn is formidable, and thus obtain it only as the result of suffering. Thus also, says He, "Those who wish to behold Me, and lay hold of My kingdom, must through tribulation and suffering obtain Me."
CHAPTER VIII.--THE RED HEIFER A TYPE OF CHRIST.
Now what do you suppose this to be a type of, that a command was given to Israel, that men of the greatest wickedness should offer a heifer, and slay and burn it, and, that then boys should take the ashes, and put these into vessels, and bind round a stick purple wool along with hyssop, and that thus the boys should sprinkle the people, one by one, in order that they might be purified from their sins? Consider how He speaks to you with simplicity. The calf is Jesus: the sinful men offering it are those who led Him to the slaughter. But now the men are no longer guilty, are no longer regarded as sinners. And the boys that sprinkle are those that have proclaimed to us the remission of sins and purification of heart. To these He gave authority to preach the Gospel, being twelve in number, corresponding to the twelve tribes of Israel. But why are there three boys that sprinkle? To correspond to Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, because these were great with God. And why was the wool [placed] upon the wood? Because by wood Jesus holds His kingdom, so that [through the cross] those believing on Him shall live for ever. But why was hyssop joined with the wool? Because in His kingdom the days will be evil and polluted in which we shall be saved, [and] because he who suffers in body is cured through the cleansing efficacy of hyssop. And on this account the things which stand thus are clear to us, but obscure to them because they did not hear the voice of the Lord.
CHAPTER IX.--THE SPIRITUAL MEANING OF CIRCUMCISION.
He speaks moreover concerning our ears, how He hath circumcised both them and our heart. The Lord saith in the prophet, "In the hearing of the ear they obeyed me." And again He saith, "By hearing, those shall hear who are afar off; they shall know what I have done." And, "Be ye circumcised in your hearts, saith the Lord." And again He says, "Hear, O lsrael, for these things saith the Lord thy God." And once more the Spirit of the Lord proclaims, "Who is he that wishes to live for ever? By hearing let him hear the voice of my servant." And again He saith, "Hear, O heaven, and give ear, O earth, for God hath spoken." These are in proof. And again He saith, "Hear the word of the Lord, ye rulers of this people." And again He saith, "Hear, ye children, the voice of one crying in the wilderness." Therefore He hath circumcised our ears, that we might hear His word and believe, for the circumcision in which they trusted is abolished. For He declared that circumcision was not of the flesh, but they transgressed because an evil angel deluded them. He saith to them, "These things saith the Lord your God"-(here I find a new commandment)--"Sow not among thorns, but circumcise yourselves to the Lord." And why speaks He thus: "Circumcise the stubbornness of your heart, and harden not your neck?" And again: "Behold, saith the Lord, all the nations are uncircumcised in the flesh, but this people are uncircumcised in heart." But thou wilt say, "Yea, verily the people are circumcised for a seal." But so also is every Syrian and Arab, and all the priests of idols: are these then also within the bond of His covenant? Yea, the Egyptians also practise circumcision. Learn then, my children, con cerning all things richly, that Abraham, the first who enjoined circumcision, looking forward in spirit to Jesus, practised that rite, having received the mysteries of the three letters. For [the Scripture] saith, "And Abraham circumcised ten, and eight, and three hundred men of his household." What, then, was the knowledge given to him in this? Learn the eighteen first, and then the three hundred. The ten and the eight are thus denoted--Ten by I, and Eight by H. You have [the initials of the, name of] Jesus. And because the cross was to express the grace [of our redemption] by the letter The says also, "Three Hundred." He signifies, therefore, Jesus by two letters, and the cross by one. He knows this, who has put within us the engrafted gift of His doctrine. No one has been admitted by me to a more excellent piece of knowledge than this, but I know that ye are worthy.
CHAPTER X.--SPIRITUAL SIGNIFICANCE OF THE PRECEPTS OF MOSES RESPECTING DIFFERENT KINDS OF FOOD.
Now, wherefore did Moses say, "Thou shalt not eat the swine, nor the eagle, nor the hawk, nor the raven, nor any fish which is not possessed of scales?" He embraced three doctrines in his mind [in doing so]. Moreover, the Lord saith to them in Deuteronomy, "And I will establish my ordinances among this people." Is there then not a command of God they should not eat [these things]? There is, but Moses spoke with a spiritual reference. For this reason he named the swine, as much as to say, "Thou shalt not join thyself to men who resemble swine." For when they live in pleasure, they forget their Lord; but when they come to want, they acknowledge the Lord. And [in like manner] the swine, when it has eaten, does not recognize its master; but when hungry it cries out, and on receiving food is quiet again. "Neither shalt thou eat," says he "the eagle, nor the hawk, nor the kite, nor the raven." "Thou shalt not join thyself," he means, "to such men as know not how to procure food for themselves by labour and sweat, but seize on that of others in their iniquity, and although wearing an aspect of simplicity, are on the watch to plunder others." So these birds, while they sit idle, inquire how they may devour the flesh of others, proving themselves pests [to all] by their wickedness. "And thou shalt not eat," he says, "the lamprey, or the polypus, or the cuttlefish." He means, "Thou shalt not join thyself or be like to such men as are ungodly to the end, and are condemned to death." In like manner as those fishes, above accursed, float in the deep, not swimming [on the surface] like the rest, but make their abode in the mud which lies at the bottom. Moreover, "Thou shall not," he says, "eat the hare." Wherefore? "Thou shall not be a corrupter of boys, nor like unto such." Because the hare multiplies, year by year, the places of its conception; for as many years as it lives so many it has. Moreover, "Thou shall not eat the hyena." He means, "Thou shall not be an adulterer, nor a corrupter, nor be like to them that are such." Wherefore? Because that animal annually changes its sex, and is at one time male, and at another female. Moreover, he has rightly detested the weasel. For he means, "Thou shalt not be like to those whom we hear of as committing wickedness with the mouth, on account of their uncleanness; nor shall thou be joined to those impure women who commit iniquity with the mouth. For this animal conceives by the mouth." Moses then issued three doctrines concerning meats with a spiritual significance; but they received them according to fleshly desire, as if he had merely spoken of [literal] meats. David, however, comprehends the knowledge of the three doctrines, and speaks in like manner: "Blessed is the man who hath not walked in the counsel of the ungodly," even as the fishes [referred to] go in darkness to the depths [of the sea]; "and hath not stood in the way of sinners," even as those who profess to fear the Lord, but go astray like swine; "and hath not sat in the seat of scorners," even as those birds that lie in wait for prey. Take a full and firm grasp of this spiritual knowledge. But Moses says still further, "Ye shall eat every animal that is cloven-footed and ruminant." What does he mean? [The ruminant animal denotes him] who, on receiving food, recognizes Him that nourishes him, and being satisfied by Him, is visibly made glad. Well spake [Moses], having respect to the commandment. What, then, does he mean? That we ought to join ourselves to those that fear the Lord, those who meditate in their heart on the commandment which they have received, those who both utter the judgments of the Lord and observe them, those who know that meditation is a work of gladness, and who ruminate upon the word of the Lord. But what means the cloven-footed? That the righteous man also walks in this world, yet looks forward to the holy state [to come]. Behold how well Moses legislated. But how was it possible for them to understand or comprehend these things? We then, rightly understanding his commandments, explain them as the Lord intended. For this purpose He circumcised our ears and our hearts, that we might understand these things.
CHAPTER XI.--BAPTISM AND THE CROSS PREFIGURED IN THE OLD TESTAMENT.
Let us further inquire whether the Lord took any care to foreshadow the water [of baptism] and the cross. Concerning the water, indeed, it is written, in reference to the Israelites, that they should not receive that baptism which leads to the remission of sins, but should procure another for themselves. The prophet therefore declares, "Be astonished, O heaven, and let the earth tremble at this, because this people hath committed two great evils: they have forsaken Me, a living fountain, and have hewn out for themselves broken cisterns. Is my holy hill Zion a desolate rock? For ye shall be as the fledglings of a bird, which fly away when the nest is removed." And again saith the prophet, "I will go before thee and make level the mountains, and will break the brazen gates, and bruise in pieces the iron bars; and I will give thee the secret,s hidden, invisible treasures, that they may know that I am the Lord God." And "He shall dwell in a lofty cave of the strong rock." Furthermore, what saith He in reference to the Son? "His water is sure; ye shall see the King in His glory, and your soul shall meditate on the fear of the Lord." And again He saith in another prophet, "The man who doeth these things shall be like a tree planted by the courses of waters, which shall yield its fruit in due season; and his leaf shall not fade, and all that he doeth shall prosper. Not so are the ungodly, not so, but even as chaff, which the wind sweeps away from the face of the earth. Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in judgment, nor sinners in the counsel of the just; for the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous, but the way of the ungodly shall perish." Mark how He has described at once both the water and the cross. For these words imply, Blessed are they who, placing their trust in the cross, have gone down into the water; for, says He, they shall receive their reward in due time: then He declares, I will recompense them. But now He saith, "Their leaves shall not fade." This meaneth, that every word which proceedeth out of your mouth in faith and love shall tend to bring conversion and hope to many. Again, another prophet saith, "And the land of Jacob shall be extolled above every land." This meaneth the vessel of His Spirit, which He shall glorify. Further, what says He? "And there was a river flowing on the right, and from it arose beautiful trees; and whosoever shall eat of them shall live for ever." This meaneth, that we indeed descend into the water full of sins and defilement, but come up, bearing fruit in our heart, having the fear [of God] and trust in Jesus in our spirit. "And whosoever shall eat of these shall live for ever," This meaneth: Whosoever, He declares, shall hear thee speaking, and believe, shall live for ever.
CHAPTER XII.--THE CROSS OF CHRIST FREQUENTLY ANNOUNCED IN THE OLD TESTAMENT.
In like manner He points to the cross of Christ in another prophet, who saith, "And when shall these things be accomplished? And the Lord saith, When a tree shall be bent down, and again arise, and when blood shall flow out of wood." Here again you have an intimation concerning the cross, and Him who should be crucified. Yet again He speaks of this in Moses, when Israel was attacked by strangers. And that He might remind them, when assailed, that it was on account of their sins they were delivered to death, the Spirit speaks to the heart of Moses, that he should make a figure of the cross, and of Him about to suffer thereon; for unless they put their trust in Him, they shall be overcome for ever. Moses therefore placed one weapon above another in the midst of the hill, and standing upon it, so as to be higher than all the people, he stretched forth his hands, and thus again Israel acquired the mastery. But when again he let down his hands, they were again destroyed. For what reason? That they might know that they could not be saved unless they put their trust in Him. And in another prophet He declares, "All day long I have stretched forth My hands to an unbelieving people, and one that gainsays My righteous way." And again Moses makes a type of Jesus, [signifying] that it was necessary for Him to suffer, [and also] that He would be the author of life [to others], whom they believed to have destroyed on the cross when Israel was failing. For since transgression was committed by Eve through means of the serpent, [the Lord] brought it to pass that every [kind of] serpents bit them, and they died, that He might convince them, that on account of their transgression they were given over to the straits of death. Moreover Moses, when he commanded, "Ye shall not have any graven or molten [image] for your God," did so that he might reveal a type of Jesus. Moses then makes a brazen serpent, and places it upon a beam, and by proclamation assembles the people. When, therefore, they were come together, they besought Moses that he would offer sacrifice in their behalf, and pray for their recovery. And Moses spake unto them, saying, "When any one of you is bitten, let him come to the serpent placed on the pole; and let him hope and believe, that even though dead, it is able to give him life, and immediately he shall be restored." And they did so. Thou hast in this also [an indication of] the glory of Jesus; for in Him and to Him are all things. What, again, says Moses to Jesus (Joshua) the son of Nave, when he gave him this name, as being a prophet, with this view only, that all the people might hear that the Father would reveal all things concerning His Son Jesus to the son of Nave? This name then being given him when he sent him to spy out the land, he said, "Take a book into thy hands, and write what the Lord declares, that the Son of God will in the last days cut off from the roots all the house of Amalek." Behold again: Jesus who was manifested, both by type and in the flesh, is not the Son of man, but the Son of God. Since, therefore, they were to say that Christ was the son of David, fearing and understanding the error of the wicked, he saith, "The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit at My right hand, until I make Thine enemies Thy footstool." And again, thus saith Isaiah, "The Lord said to Christ, my Lord, whose right hand I have holden, that the nations should yield obedience before Him; and I will break in pieces the strength of kings." Behold how David calleth Him Lord and the Son of God.
CHAPTER XIII.--CHRISTIANS, AND NOT JEWS, THE HEIRS OF THE COVENANT.
But let us see if this people is the heir, or the former, and if the covenant belongs to us or to them. Hear ye now what the Scripture saith concerning the people. Isaac prayed for Rebecca his wife, because she was barren; and she conceived. Furthermore also, Rebecca went forth to inquire of the Lord; and the Lord said to her, "Two nations are in thy womb, and two peoples in thy belly; and the one people shall surpass the other, and the eider shall serve the younger." You ought to understand who was Isaac, who Rebecca, and concerning what persons He declared that this people should be greater than that. And in another prophecy Jacob speaks more clearly to his son Joseph, saying, "Behold, the Lord hath not deprived me of thy presence; bring thy sons to me, that I may bless them." And he brought Manasseh and Ephraim, desiring that Manasseh should be blessed, because he was the eider. With this view Joseph led him to the right hand of his father Jacob. But Jacob saw in spirit the type of the people to arise afterwards. And what says [the Scripture]? And Jacob changed the direction of his bands, and laid his fight hand upon the head of Ephraim, the second and younger, and blessed him. And Joseph said to Jacob, "Transfer thy right hand to the head of Manasseh, for he is my first-born son." And Jacob said, "I know it, my son, I know it; but the eider shall serve the younger: yet he also shall be blessed." Ye see on whom he laid [his hands], that this people should be first, and heir of the covenant. If then, still further, the same thing was intimated through Abraham, we reach the perfection of our knowledge. What, then, says He to Abraham? "Because thou hast believed, it is imputed to thee for righteousness: behold, I have made thee the father of those nations who believe in the Lord while in [a state of] uncircumcision."
CHAPTER XIV.--THE LORD HATH GIVEN US THE TESTAMENT WHICH MOSES RECEIVED AND BROKE.
Yes [it is even so]; but let us inquire if the Lord has really given that testament which He swore to the fathers that He would give to the people. He did give it; but they were not worthy to receive it, on account of their sins. For the prophet declares, "And Moses was fasting forty days and forty nights on Mount Sinai, that he might receive the testament of the Lord for the people." And he received from the Lord two tables, written in the spirit by the finger of the hand of the Lord. And Moses having received them, carried them down to give to the people. And the Lord said to Moses, "Moses, Moses, go down quickly; for thy people hath sinned, whom thou didst bring out of the land of Egypt." And Moses understood that they had again made molten images; and he threw the tables out of his hands, and the tables of the testament of the Lord were broken. Moses then received it, but they proved themselves unworthy. Learn now how we have received it. Moses, as a servant, received it; but the Lord himself, having suffered in our behalf, hath given it to us, that we should be the people of inheritance. But He was manifested, in order that they might be perfected in their iniquities, and that we, being constituted heirs through Him, might receive the testament of the Lord Jesus, who was prepared for this end, that by His personal manifestation, redeeming our hearts (which were already wasted by death, and given over to the iniquity of error) from darkness, He might by His word enter into a covenant with us. For it is written how the Father, about to redeem us from darkness, commanded Him to prepare a holy people for Himself. The prophet therefore declares, "I, the Lord Thy God, have called Thee in righteousness, and will hold Thy hand, and will strengthen Thee; and I have given Thee for a covenant to the people, for a light to the nations, to open the eyes of the blind, and to bring forth from fetters them that are bound, and those that sit in darkness out of the prison-house." Ye perceive, then, whence we have been redeemed. And again, the prophet says, "Behold, I have appointed Thee as a light to the nations, that Thou mightest be for salvation even to the ends of the earth, saith the Lord God that redeemeth thee." And again, the prophet saith, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me; because He hath anointed me to preach the Gospel to the humble: He hath sent me to heal the broken-hearted, to proclaim deliverance to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind; to announce the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of recompense; to comfort all that mourn."
CHAPTER XV.--THE FALSE AND THE TRUE SABBATH.
Further, also, it is written concerning the Sabbath in the Decalogue which [the Lord] spoke, face to face, to Moses on Mount Sinai, "And sanctify ye the Sabbath of the Lord with clean hands and a pure heart." And He says in another place, "If my sons keep the Sabbath, then will I cause my mercy to rest upon them." The Sabbath is mentioned at the beginning of the creation [thus]: "And God made in six days the works of His hands, and made an end on the seventh day, and rested on it, and sanctified it." Attend, my children, to the meaning of this expression, "He finished in six days." This implieth that the Lord will finish all things in six thousand years, for a day is with Him a thousand years. And He Himself testifieth, saying, "Behold, to-day will be as a thousand years." Therefore, my children, in six days, that is, in six thousand years, all things will be finished. "And He rested on the seventh day." This meaneth: when His Son, coming [again], shall destroy the time of the wicked man, and judge the ungodly, and change the-sun, and the moon, and the stars, then shall He truly rest on the seventh day. Moreover, He says, "Thou shalt sanctify it with pure hands and a pure heart." If, therefore, any one can now sanctify the day which God hath sanctified, except he is pure in heart in all things, we are deceived. Behold, therefore: certainly then one properly resting sanctifies it, when we ourselves, having received the promise, wickedness no longer existing, and all things having been made new by the Lord, shall be able to work righteousness. Then we shall be able to sanctify it, having been first sanctified ourselves. Further, He says to them, "Your new moons and your Sabbath I cannot endure." Ye perceive how He speaks: Your present Sabbaths are not acceptable to Me, but that is which I have made, [namely this,] when, giving rest to all things, I shall make a beginning of the eighth day, that is, a beginning of another world. Wherefore, also, we keep the eighth day with joyfulness, the day also on which Jesus rose again from the dead. And when He had manifested Himself, He ascended into the heavens.
CHAPTER XVI.--THE SPIRITUAL TEMPLE OF GOD.
Moreover, I will also tell you concerning the temple, how the wretched [Jews], wandering in error, trusted not in God Himself, but in the temple, as being the house of God. For almost after the manner of the Gentiles they worshipped Him in the temple. But learn how the Lord speaks, when abolishing it: "Who hath meted out heaven with a span, and the earth with his palm? Have not I?""Thus saith the Lord, Heaven is My throne, and the earth My footstool: what kind of house will ye build to Me, or what is the place of My rest?" Ye perceive that their hope is vain. Moreover, He again says, "Behold, they who have cast down this temple, even they shall build it up again." It has so happened. For through their going to war, it was destroyed by their enemies; and now: they, as the servants of their enemies, shall rebuild it. Again, it was revealed that the city and the temple and the people of Israel were to be given up. For the Scripture saith, "And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the Lord will deliver up the sheep of His pasture, and their sheep-fold and tower, to destruction." And it so happened as the Lord had spoken. Let us inquire, then, if there still is a temple of God. There is--where He himself declared He would make and finish it. For it is written, "And it shall come to pass, when the week is completed, the temple of God shall be built in glory in the name of the Lord." I find, therefore, that a temple does exist. Learn, then, how it shall be built in the name of the Lord. Before we believed in God, the habitation of our heart was corrupt and weak, as being indeed like a temple made with hands. For it was full of idolatry, and was a habitation of demons, through our doing such things as were opposed to [the will of] God. But it shall be built, observe ye, in the name of the Lord, in order that the temple of the Lord may be built in glory. How? Learn [as follows]. Having received the forgiveness of sins, and placed our trust in the name of the Lord, we have become new creatures, formed again from the beginning. Wherefore in our habitation God truly dwells in us. How? His word of faith; His calling of promise; the wisdom of the statutes; the commands of the doctrine; He himself prophesying in us; He himself dwelling in us; opening to us who were enslaved by death the doors of the temple, that is, the mouth; and by giving us repentance introduced us into the incorruptible temple. He then, who wishes to be saved, looks not to man, but to Him who dwelleth in him, and speaketh in him, amazed at never having either heard him utter such words with his mouth, nor himself having ever desired to hear them. This is the spiritual temple built for the Lord.
CHAPTER XVII.--CONCLUSION OF THE FIRST PART OF THE EPISTLE.
As far as was possible, and could be done with perspicuity, I cherish the hope that, according to my desire, I have omitted none of those things at present [demanding consideration], which bear upon your salvation. For if I should write to you about things future, ye would not understand, because such knowledge is hid in parables. These things then are so.
CHAPTER XVIII.--SECOND PART OF THE EPISTLE. THE TWO WAYS.
But let us now pass to another sort of knowledge and doctrine. There are two ways of doctrine and authority, the one of light, and the other of darkness. But there is a great difference between these two ways. For over one are stationed the light-bringing angels of God, but over the other the angels' of Satan. And He indeed (i.e., God) is Lord for ever and ever, but he (i.e., Satan) is prince of the time of iniquity.
CHAPTER XIX.--THE WAY OF LIGHT.
The way of light, then, is as follows. If any one desires to travel to the appointed place, he must be zealous in his works. The knowledge, therefore, which is given to us for the purpose of walking in this way, is the following. Thou shalt love Him that created thee: thou shalt glorify Him that redeemed thee from death. Thou shalt be simple in heart, and rich in spirit. Thou shalt not join thyself to those who walk in the way of death. Thou shalt hate doing what is unpleasing to God: thou shalt hate all hypocrisy. Thou shalt not forsake the commandments of the Lord. Thou shalt not exalt thyself, but shalt be of a lowly mind. Thou shalt not take glory to thyself. Thou shalt not take evil counsel against thy neighbour. Thou shalt not allow over-boldness to enter into thy soul. Thou shalt not commit fornication: thou shalt not commit adultery: thou shalt not be a corrupter of youth. Thou shalt not let the word of God issue from thy lips with any kind of impurity. Thou shalt not accept persons when thou reprovest any one for transgression. Thou shalt be meek: thou shalt be peaceable. Thou shalt tremble at the words which thou hearest. Thou shalt not be mindful of evil against thy brother. Thou shalt not be of doubtful mind as to whether a thing shall be or not. Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord in vain. Thou shalt love thy neighbour more than thine own soul. Thou shalt not slay the child by procuring abortion; nor, again, shalt thou destroy it after it is born. Thou shalt not withdraw thy hand from thy son, or from thy daughter, but from their infancy thou shalt teach them the fear of the Lord. Thou shalt not covet what is thy neighbour's, nor shalt thou be avaricious. Thou shalt not be joined in soul with the haughty, but thou shalt be reckoned With the righteous and lowly. Receive thou as good things the trials which come upon thee. Thou shalt not be of double mind or of double tongue, for a double tongue is a snare of death. Thou shalt be subject to the Lord, and to [other] masters as the image of God, with modesty and fear. Thou shalt not issue orders with bitterness to thy maidservant or thy man-servant, who trust in the same [God], lest thou shouldst not reverence that God who is above both; for He came to call men not according to their outward appearance, but according as the Spirit had prepared them. Thou shalt communicate in all things with thy neighbour; thou shalt not call things thine own; for if ye are partakers in common of things which are incorruptible, how much more [should you be] of those things which are corruptible! Thou shalt not be hasty with thy tongue, for the mouth is a snare of death. As far as possible, thou shalt be pure in thy soul. Do not be ready to stretch forth thy hands to take, whilst thou contractest them to give. Thou shalt love, as the apple of thine eye, every one that speaketh to thee the word of the Lord. Thou shalt remember the day of judgment, night and day. Thou shalt seek out every day the faces of the saints, either by word examining them, and going to exhort them, and meditating how to save a soul by the word, or by thy hands thou shalt labour for the redemption of thy sins. Thou shalt not hesitate to give, nor murmur when thou givest. "Give to every one that asketh thee," and thou shalt know who is the good Recompenser of the reward. Thou shalt preserve what thou hast received [in charge], neither adding to it nor taking from it. To the last thou shalt hate the wicked [one]. Thou shalt judge righteously. Thou shalt not make a schism, but thou shalt pacify those that contend by bringing them together. Thou shalt confess thy sins. Thou shalt not go to prayer with an evil conscience. This is the way of light.
CHAPTER XX.--THE WAY OF DARKNESS.
But the way of darkness is crooked, and full of cursing; for it is the way of eternal death with punishment, in which way are the things that destroy the soul, viz., idolatry, over-confidence, the arrogance of power, hypocrisy, double-heartedness, adultery, murder, rapine, haughtiness, transgression, deceit, malice, self-sufficiency, poisoning, magic, avarice, want of the fear of God. [In this way, too,] are those who persecute the good, those who hate truth, those who love falsehood, those who know not the reward of righteousness, those who cleave not to that which is good, those who attend not with just judgment to the widow and orphan, those who watch not to the fear of God, [but incline] to wickedness, from whom meekness and patience are far off; persons who love vanity, follow after a reward, pity not the needy, labour not in aid of him who is overcome with toil; who are prone to evil-speaking, who know not Him that made them, who are murderers of children, destroyers of the workmanship of God; who turn away him that is in want, who oppress the afflicted, who are advocates of the rich, who are unjust judges of the poor, and who are in every respect transgressors.
CHAPTER XXI.--CONCLUSION.
It is well, therefore, that he who has learned the judgments of the Lord, as many as have been written, should walk in them. For he who keepeth these shall be glorified in the kingdom of God; but he who chooseth other things shall be destroyed with his works. On this account there will be a resurrection, on this account a retribution. I beseech you who are superiors, if you will receive any counsel of my good-will, have among yourselves those to whom you may show kindness: do not forsake them. For the day is at hand on which all things shall perish with the evil [one]. The Lord is near, and His reward. Again, and yet again, I beseech you: be good lawgivers to one another; continue faithful counsellors of one another; take away from among you all hypocrisy. And may God, who ruleth over all the world, give to you wisdom, intelligence, understanding, knowledge of His judgments, with patience. And be ye taught of God, inquiring diligently what the Lord asks from you; and do it that ye may be safe in the day of judgment. And if you have any remembrance of what is good, be mindful of me, meditating on these things, in order that both my desire and watchfulness may result in some good. I beseech you, entreating this as a favour. While yet you are in this fair vessel, do not fail in any one of those things, but unceasingly seek after them, and fulfil every commandment; for these things are worthy. Wherefore I have been the more earnest to write to you, as my ability served, that I might cheer you. Farewell, ye children of love and peace. The Lord of glory and of all grace be with your spirit. Amen.
CHAPTER I.--AFTER THE SALUTATION, THE WRITER DECLARES THAT HE WOULD COMMUNICATE TO HIS BRETHREN SOMETHING OF THAT WHICH HE HAD HIMSELF RECEIVED.
All hail, ye sons and daughters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, who loved us in peace.
Seeing that the divine fruits of righteousness abound among you, I rejoice exceedingly and above measure in your happy and honoured spirits, because ye have with such effect received the engrafted spiritual gift. Wherefore also I inwardly rejoice the more, hoping to be saved, because I truly perceive in you the Spirit poured forth from the rich Lord s of love. Your greatly desired appearance has thus filled me with astonishment over you. I am therefore pursuaded of this, and fully convinced in my own mind, that since I began to speak among you I understand many things, because the Lord hath accompanied me in the way of righteousness. I am also on this account bound by the strictest obligation to love you above my own soul, because great are the faith and love dwelling in you, while you hope for the life which He has promised. Considering this, therefore, that if I should take the trouble to communicate to you some portion of what I have myself received, it will prove to me a sufficient reward that I minister to such spirits, I have hastened briefly to write unto you, in order that, along with your faith, ye might have perfect knowledge. The doctrines of the Lord, then, are three: the hope of life, the beginning and the completion of it. For the Lord hath made known to us by the prophets both the things which are past and present, giving us also the first-fruits of the knowledge of things to come, which things as we see accomplished, one by one, we ought with the greater richness of faith and elevation of spirit to draw near to Him with reverence. I then, not as your teacher, but as one of yourselves, will set forth a few things by which in present circumstances ye may be rendered the more joyful.
CHAPTER II -- THE JEWISH SACRIFICES ARE NOW ABOLISHED.
Since, therefore, the days are evil, and Satan possesses the power of this world, we ought to give heed to ourselves, and diligently inquire into the ordinances of the Lord. Fear and patience, then, are helpers of our faith; and long-suffering and continence are things which fight on our side. While these remain pure in what respects the Lord, Wisdom, Understanding, Science, and Knowledge rejoice along with them. For He hath revealed to us by all the prophets that He needs neither sacrifices, nor burnt-offerings, nor oblations, saying thus, "What is the multitude of your sacrifices unto Me, saith the Lord? I am full of burnt-offerings, and desire not the fat of lambs, and the blood of bulls and goats, not when ye come to appear before Me: for who hath required these things at your hands? Tread no more My courts, not though ye bring with you fine flour. Incense is a vain abomination unto Me, and your new moons and sabbaths I cannot endure." He has therefore abolished these things, that the new law of our Lord Jesus Christ, which is without the yoke of necessity, might have a human oblation. And again He says to them, "Did I command your fathers, when they went out from the land of Egypt, to offer unto Me burnt-offerings and sacrifices? But this rather I commanded them, Let no one of you cherish any evil in his heart against his neighbour, and love not an oath of falsehood." We ought therefore, being possessed of understanding, to perceive the gracious intention of our Father; for He speaks to us, desirous that we, not going astray like them, should ask how we may approach Him. To us, then, He declares, "A sacrifice [pleasing] to God is a broken spirit; a smell of sweet savour to the Lord is a heart that glorifieth Him that made it." We ought therefore, brethren, carefully to inquire concerning our salvation, lest the wicked one, having made his entrance by deceit, should huff us forth from our [true] life.
CHAPTER III.--THE FASTS OF THE JEWS ARE NOT TRUE FASTS, NOR ACCEPTABLE TO GOD.
He says then to them again concerning these things, "Why do ye fast to Me as on this day, saith the Lord, that your voice should be heard with a cry? I have not chosen this fast, saith the Lord, that a man should humble his soul. Nor, though ye bend your neck like a ring, and put upon you sackcloth and ashes, will ye call it an acceptable fast." To us He saith, "Behold, this is the fast that I have chosen, saith the Lord, not that a man should humble his soul, but that he should loose every band of iniquity, untie the fastenings of harsh agreements, restore to liberty them that are bruised, tear in pieces every unjust engagement, feed the hungry with thy bread, clothe the naked when thou seest him, bring the homeless into thy house, not despise the humble if thou behold him, and not [turn away] from the members of thine own family. Then shall thy dawn break forth, and thy healing shall quickly spring up, and righteousness shall go forth before thee, and the glory of God shall encompass thee; and then thou shalt call, and God shall hear thee; whilst thou art yet speaking, He shall say, Behold, I am with thee; if thou take away from thee the chain [binding others], and the stretching forth of the hands [to sweat falsely], and words of murmuring, and give cheerfully thy bread to the hungry, and show compassion to the soul that has been humbled." To this end, therefore, brethren, He is long-suffering, foreseeing how the people whom He has prepared shall with guilelessness believe in His Beloved. For He revealed all these things to us beforehand, that we should not rush forward as rash acceptors of their laws.
CHAPTER IV.--ANTICHRIST IS AT HAND: LET US THEREFORE AVOID JEWISH ERRORS.
It therefore behoves us, who inquire much concerning events at hand, to search diligently into those things which are able to save us. Let us then utterly flee from all the works of iniquity, lest these should take hold of us; and let us hate the error of the present time, that we may set our love on the world to come: let us not give loose reins to our soul, that it should have power to run with sinners and the wicked, lest we become like them. The final stumbling-block (or source of danger) approaches, concerning which it is written, as Enoch says, "For for this end the Lord has cut short the times and the days, that His Beloved may hasten; and He will come to the inheritance." And the prophet also speaks thus: "Ten kingdoms shall reign upon the earth, and a little king shall rise up after them, who shall subdue under one three of the kings. In like manner Daniel says concerning the same, "And I beheld the fourth beast, wicked and powerful, and more savage than all the beasts of the earth, and how from it sprang up ten horns, and out of them a little budding horn, and how it subdued under one three of the great horns." Ye ought therefore to understand. And this also I further beg of you, as being one of you, and loving you both individually and collectively more than my own soul, to take heed now to yourselves, and not to be like some, adding largely to your sins, and saying, "The covenant is both theirs and ours." But they thus finally lost it, after Moses had already received it. For the Scripture saith, "And Moses was fasting in the mount forty days and forty nights, and received the covenant from the Lord, tables of stone written with the finger of the hand of the Lord;" but turning away to idols, they lost it. For the Lord speaks thus to Moses: "Moses go down quickly; for the people whom thou hast brought out of the land of Egypt have transgressed." And Moses understood [the meaning of God], and cast the two tables out of his hands; and their covenant was broken, in order that the covenant of the beloved Jesus might be sealed upon our heart, in the hope which flows from believing in Him. Now, being desirous to write many things to you, not as your teacher, but as becometh one who loves you, I have taken care not to fail to write to you from what I myself possess, with a view to your purification. We take earnest heed in these last days; for the whole [past] time of your faith will profit you nothing, unless now in this wicked time we also withstand coming sources of danger, as becometh the sons of God. That the Black One may find no means of entrance, let us flee from every vanity, let us utterly hate the works of the way of wickedness. Do not, by retiring apart, live a solitary life, as if you were already [fully] justified; but coming together in one place, make common inquiry concerning what tends to your general welfare. For the Scripture saith, "Woe to them who are wise to themselves, and prudent in their own sight!" Let us be spiritually-minded: let us be a perfect temple to God. As much as in us lies, let us meditate upon the fear of God, and let us keep His commandments, that we may rejoice in His ordinances. The Lord will judge the world without respect of persons. Each will receive as he has done: if he is righteous, his righteousness will precede him; if he is wicked, the reward of wickedness is before him. Take heed, lest resting at our ease, as those who are the called [of God], we should fall asleep in our sins, and the wicked prince, acquiring power over us, should thrust us away from the kingdom of the Lord. And all the more attend to this, my brethren, when ye reflect and behold, that after so great signs and wonders were wrought in Israel, they were thus [at length] abandoned. Let us beware lest we be found [fulfilling that saying], as it is written, "Many are called, but few are chosen."
CHAPTER V.--THE NEW COVENANT, FOUNDED ON THE SUFFERINGS OF CHRIST, TENDS TO OUR SALVATION, BUT TO THE JEWS' DESTRUCTION.
For to this end the Lord endured to deliver up His flesh to corruption, that we might be sanctified through the remission of sins, which is effected by His blood of sprinkling. For it is written concerning Him, partly with reference to Israel, and partly to us; and [the Scripture] saith thus: "He was wounded for our transgressions, and braised for our iniquities: with His stripes we are healed. He was brought as a sheep to the slaughter, and as a lamb which is dumb before its shearer." Therefore we ought to be deeply grateful to the Lord, because He has both made known to us things that are past, and hath given us wisdom concerning things present, and hath not left us without understanding in regard to things which are to come. Now, the Scripture saith, "Not unjustly are nets spread out for birds." This means that the man perishes justly, who, having a knowledge of the way of righteousness, rushes off into the way of darkness. And further, my brethren: if the Lord endured to suffer for our soul, He being Lord of all the world, to whom God said at the foundation of the world, "Let us make man after our image, and after our likeness," understand how it was that He endured to suffer at the hand of men. The prophets, having obtained grace from Him, prophesied concerning Him. And He (since it behoved Him to appear in flesh), that He might abolish death, and reveal the resurrection from the dead, endured [what and as He did], in order that He might fulfill the promise made unto the fathers, and by preparing a new people for Himself, might show, while He dwelt on earth, that He, when He has raised mankind, will also judge them. Moreover, teaching Israel, and doing so great miracles and signs, He preached [the truth] to him, and greatly loved him. But when He chose His own apostles who where to preach His Gospel, [He did so from among those] who were sinners above all sin, that He might show He came "not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance." Then He manifested Himself to be the Son of God. For if He had not come in the flesh, how could men have been saved by beholding Him? Since looking upon the sun which is to cease to exist, and is the work of His hands, their eyes are not able to bear his rays. The Son of God therefore came in the flesh with this view, that He might bring to a head the sum of their sins who had persecuted His prophets to the death. For this purpose, then, He endured. For God saith, "The stroke of his flesh is from them;" and "when I shall smite the Shepherd, then the sheep of the flock shall be scattered." He himself willed thus to suffer, for it was necessary that He should suffer on the tree. For says he Who prophesies regarding Him, "Spare my soul from the sword, fasten my flesh with nails; for the assemblies of the wicked have risen up against me." And again he says, "Behold, I have given my back to scourges, and my cheeks to strokes, and I have set my countenance as a firm rock."
CHAPTER VI.--THE SUFFERINGS OF CHRIST, AND THE NEW COVENANT, WERE ANNOUNCED BY THE PROPHETS.
When, therefore, He has fulfilled the commandment, what saith He? "Who is he that will contend with Me? let him oppose Me: or who is he that will enter into judgment with Me? let him draw near to the servant of the Lord." "Woe unto you, for ye shall all wax old, like a garment, and the moth shall eat you up." And again the prophet says, "Since as a mighty stone He is laid for crushing, behold I cast down for the foundations of Zion a stone, precious, elect, a corner-stone, honourable." Next, what says He? "And he who shall trust" in it shall live for ever." Is our hope, then, upon a stone? Far from it. But [the language is used] inasmuch as He laid his flesh [as a foundation] with power; for He says, "And He placed me as a firm rock." And the prophet says again, "The stone which the builders rejected, the same has become the head of the corner." And again he says, "This is the great and wonderful day which the Lord hath made. I write the more simply unto you, that ye may understand. I am the off-scouring of your love. What, then, again says the prophet? "The assembly of the wicked surrounded me; they encompassed me as bees do a honeycomb," and "upon my garment they cast lots." Since, therefore, He was about to be manifested and to suffer in the flesh, His suffering was foreshown. For the prophet speaks against Israel, "Woe to their soul, because they have counselted an evil counsel against themselves, saying, Let us bind the just one, because he is displeasing to us." And Moses also says to them, "Behold these things, saith the Lord God: Enter into the good land which the Lord sware [to give] to Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and inherit ye it, a land flowing with milk and honey." What, then, says Knowledge? Learn: "Trust," she says, "in Him who is to be manifested to you in the flesh--that is, Jesus." For man is earth in a suffering state, for the formation of Adam was from the face of the earth. What, then, meaneth this: "into the good land, a land flowing with milk and honey?" Blessed be our Lord, who has placed in us wisdom and understanding of secret things. For the prophet says, "Who shall understand the parable of the Lord, except him who is wise and prudent, and who loves his Lord?" Since, therefore, having renewed us by the remission of our sins, He hath made us after another pattern, [it is His purpose] that we should possess the soul of children, inasmuch as He has created us anew by His Spirit. For the Scripture says concerning us, while He speaks to the Son, "Let Us make man after Our image, and after Our likeness; and let them have dominion over the beasts of the earth, and the fowls of heaven, and the fishes of the sea." And the Lord said, on beholding the fair creature man, "Increase, and multiply, and replenish the earth." These things [were spoken] to the Son. Again, I will show thee how, in respect to us, He has accomplished a second fashioning in these last days. The Lord says, "Behold, I will make the last like the first." In reference to this, then, the prophet proclaimed, "Enter ye into the land flowing with milk and honey, and have dominion over it." Behold, therefore, we have been refashioned, as again He says in another prophet, "Behold, saith the Lord, I will take away from these, that is, from those whom the Spirit of the Lord foresaw, their stony hearts, and I will put hearts of flesh within them," because He was to be manifested in flesh, and to sojourn among us. For, my brethren, the habitation of our heart is a holy temple to the Lord. For again saith the Lord, "And wherewith shall I appear before the Lord my God, and be glorified?" He says, "I will confess to thee in the Church in the midst of my brethren; and I will praise thee in the midst of the assembly of the saints." We, then, are they whom He has led into the good land. What, then, mean milk and honey? This, that as the infant is kept alive first by honey, and then by milk, so also we, being quickened and kept alive by the faith of the promise and by the word, shall live ruling over the earth. But He said above, "Let them increase, and nile over the fishes." Who then is able to govern the beasts, or the fishes, or the fowls of heaven? For we ought to perceive that to govern implies authority, so that one should command and rule. If, therefore, this does not exist at present, yet still He has promised it to us. When? When we ourselves also have been made perfect [so as] to become heirs of the covenant of the Lord."
CHAPTER VII.--FASTING, AND THE GOAT SENT AWAY, WERE TYPES OF CHRIST.
Understand, then, ye children of gladness, that the good Lord has foreshown all things to us, that we might know to whom we ought for everything to render thanksgiving and praise. If therefore the Son of God, who is Lord all things], and who will judge the living and the dead, suffered, that His stroke might give us life, let us believe that the Son of God could not have suffered except for our sakes. Moreover, when fixed to the cross, He had given Him to drink vinegar and gall. Hearken how the priests of the people gave previous indications of this. His commandment having been written, the Lord enjoined, that whosoever did not keep the fast should be put to death, because He also Himself was to offer in sacrifice for our sins the vessel of the Spirit, in order that the type established in Isaac when he was offered upon the altar might be fully accomplished. What, then, says He in the prophet? "And let them eat of the goat which is offered, with fasting, for all their sins." Attend carefully: "And let all the priests alone eat the inwards, unwashed with vinegar." Wherefore? Because to me, who am to offer my flesh for the sins of my new people, ye are to give gall with vinegar to drink: eat ye alone, while the people fast and mourn in sackcloth and ashes. [These things were done] that He might show that it was necessary for Him to suffer for them. How, then, ran the commandment? Give your attention. Take two goats of goodly aspect, and similar to each other, and offer them. And let the priest take one as a burnt-offering for sins. And what should they do with the other? "Accursed," says He, "is the one." Mark how the type of Jesus now comes out. "And all of you spit upon it, and pierce it, and encircle its head with scarlet wool, and thus let it be driven into the wilderness." And when all this has been done, he who bears the goat brings it into the desert, and takes the wool off from it, and places that upon a shrub which is called Rachia, of which also we are accustomed to eat the fruits when we find them in the field. Of this kind of shrub alone the fruits are sweet. Why then, again, is this? Give good heed. [You see] "one upon the altar, and the other accursed;" and why [do you behold] the one that is accursed crowned? Because they shall see Him then in that day having a scarlet robe about his body down to his feet; and they shall say, Is not this He whom we once despised, and pierced, and mocked, and crucified? Truly this is He who then declared Himself to be the Son of God. For how like is He to Him! With a view to this, [He required] the goats to be of goodly aspect, and similar, that, when they see Him then coming, they may be amazed by the likeness of the goat. Behold, then, the type of Jesus who was to suffer. But why is it that they place the wool in the midst of thorns? It is a type of Jesus set before the view of the Church. [They place the wool among thorns], that any one who wishes to bear it away may find it necessary to suffer much, because the thorn is formidable, and thus obtain it only as the result of suffering. Thus also, says He, "Those who wish to behold Me, and lay hold of My kingdom, must through tribulation and suffering obtain Me."
CHAPTER VIII.--THE RED HEIFER A TYPE OF CHRIST.
Now what do you suppose this to be a type of, that a command was given to Israel, that men of the greatest wickedness should offer a heifer, and slay and burn it, and, that then boys should take the ashes, and put these into vessels, and bind round a stick purple wool along with hyssop, and that thus the boys should sprinkle the people, one by one, in order that they might be purified from their sins? Consider how He speaks to you with simplicity. The calf is Jesus: the sinful men offering it are those who led Him to the slaughter. But now the men are no longer guilty, are no longer regarded as sinners. And the boys that sprinkle are those that have proclaimed to us the remission of sins and purification of heart. To these He gave authority to preach the Gospel, being twelve in number, corresponding to the twelve tribes of Israel. But why are there three boys that sprinkle? To correspond to Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, because these were great with God. And why was the wool [placed] upon the wood? Because by wood Jesus holds His kingdom, so that [through the cross] those believing on Him shall live for ever. But why was hyssop joined with the wool? Because in His kingdom the days will be evil and polluted in which we shall be saved, [and] because he who suffers in body is cured through the cleansing efficacy of hyssop. And on this account the things which stand thus are clear to us, but obscure to them because they did not hear the voice of the Lord.
CHAPTER IX.--THE SPIRITUAL MEANING OF CIRCUMCISION.
He speaks moreover concerning our ears, how He hath circumcised both them and our heart. The Lord saith in the prophet, "In the hearing of the ear they obeyed me." And again He saith, "By hearing, those shall hear who are afar off; they shall know what I have done." And, "Be ye circumcised in your hearts, saith the Lord." And again He says, "Hear, O lsrael, for these things saith the Lord thy God." And once more the Spirit of the Lord proclaims, "Who is he that wishes to live for ever? By hearing let him hear the voice of my servant." And again He saith, "Hear, O heaven, and give ear, O earth, for God hath spoken." These are in proof. And again He saith, "Hear the word of the Lord, ye rulers of this people." And again He saith, "Hear, ye children, the voice of one crying in the wilderness." Therefore He hath circumcised our ears, that we might hear His word and believe, for the circumcision in which they trusted is abolished. For He declared that circumcision was not of the flesh, but they transgressed because an evil angel deluded them. He saith to them, "These things saith the Lord your God"-(here I find a new commandment)--"Sow not among thorns, but circumcise yourselves to the Lord." And why speaks He thus: "Circumcise the stubbornness of your heart, and harden not your neck?" And again: "Behold, saith the Lord, all the nations are uncircumcised in the flesh, but this people are uncircumcised in heart." But thou wilt say, "Yea, verily the people are circumcised for a seal." But so also is every Syrian and Arab, and all the priests of idols: are these then also within the bond of His covenant? Yea, the Egyptians also practise circumcision. Learn then, my children, con cerning all things richly, that Abraham, the first who enjoined circumcision, looking forward in spirit to Jesus, practised that rite, having received the mysteries of the three letters. For [the Scripture] saith, "And Abraham circumcised ten, and eight, and three hundred men of his household." What, then, was the knowledge given to him in this? Learn the eighteen first, and then the three hundred. The ten and the eight are thus denoted--Ten by I, and Eight by H. You have [the initials of the, name of] Jesus. And because the cross was to express the grace [of our redemption] by the letter The says also, "Three Hundred." He signifies, therefore, Jesus by two letters, and the cross by one. He knows this, who has put within us the engrafted gift of His doctrine. No one has been admitted by me to a more excellent piece of knowledge than this, but I know that ye are worthy.
CHAPTER X.--SPIRITUAL SIGNIFICANCE OF THE PRECEPTS OF MOSES RESPECTING DIFFERENT KINDS OF FOOD.
Now, wherefore did Moses say, "Thou shalt not eat the swine, nor the eagle, nor the hawk, nor the raven, nor any fish which is not possessed of scales?" He embraced three doctrines in his mind [in doing so]. Moreover, the Lord saith to them in Deuteronomy, "And I will establish my ordinances among this people." Is there then not a command of God they should not eat [these things]? There is, but Moses spoke with a spiritual reference. For this reason he named the swine, as much as to say, "Thou shalt not join thyself to men who resemble swine." For when they live in pleasure, they forget their Lord; but when they come to want, they acknowledge the Lord. And [in like manner] the swine, when it has eaten, does not recognize its master; but when hungry it cries out, and on receiving food is quiet again. "Neither shalt thou eat," says he "the eagle, nor the hawk, nor the kite, nor the raven." "Thou shalt not join thyself," he means, "to such men as know not how to procure food for themselves by labour and sweat, but seize on that of others in their iniquity, and although wearing an aspect of simplicity, are on the watch to plunder others." So these birds, while they sit idle, inquire how they may devour the flesh of others, proving themselves pests [to all] by their wickedness. "And thou shalt not eat," he says, "the lamprey, or the polypus, or the cuttlefish." He means, "Thou shalt not join thyself or be like to such men as are ungodly to the end, and are condemned to death." In like manner as those fishes, above accursed, float in the deep, not swimming [on the surface] like the rest, but make their abode in the mud which lies at the bottom. Moreover, "Thou shall not," he says, "eat the hare." Wherefore? "Thou shall not be a corrupter of boys, nor like unto such." Because the hare multiplies, year by year, the places of its conception; for as many years as it lives so many it has. Moreover, "Thou shall not eat the hyena." He means, "Thou shall not be an adulterer, nor a corrupter, nor be like to them that are such." Wherefore? Because that animal annually changes its sex, and is at one time male, and at another female. Moreover, he has rightly detested the weasel. For he means, "Thou shalt not be like to those whom we hear of as committing wickedness with the mouth, on account of their uncleanness; nor shall thou be joined to those impure women who commit iniquity with the mouth. For this animal conceives by the mouth." Moses then issued three doctrines concerning meats with a spiritual significance; but they received them according to fleshly desire, as if he had merely spoken of [literal] meats. David, however, comprehends the knowledge of the three doctrines, and speaks in like manner: "Blessed is the man who hath not walked in the counsel of the ungodly," even as the fishes [referred to] go in darkness to the depths [of the sea]; "and hath not stood in the way of sinners," even as those who profess to fear the Lord, but go astray like swine; "and hath not sat in the seat of scorners," even as those birds that lie in wait for prey. Take a full and firm grasp of this spiritual knowledge. But Moses says still further, "Ye shall eat every animal that is cloven-footed and ruminant." What does he mean? [The ruminant animal denotes him] who, on receiving food, recognizes Him that nourishes him, and being satisfied by Him, is visibly made glad. Well spake [Moses], having respect to the commandment. What, then, does he mean? That we ought to join ourselves to those that fear the Lord, those who meditate in their heart on the commandment which they have received, those who both utter the judgments of the Lord and observe them, those who know that meditation is a work of gladness, and who ruminate upon the word of the Lord. But what means the cloven-footed? That the righteous man also walks in this world, yet looks forward to the holy state [to come]. Behold how well Moses legislated. But how was it possible for them to understand or comprehend these things? We then, rightly understanding his commandments, explain them as the Lord intended. For this purpose He circumcised our ears and our hearts, that we might understand these things.
CHAPTER XI.--BAPTISM AND THE CROSS PREFIGURED IN THE OLD TESTAMENT.
Let us further inquire whether the Lord took any care to foreshadow the water [of baptism] and the cross. Concerning the water, indeed, it is written, in reference to the Israelites, that they should not receive that baptism which leads to the remission of sins, but should procure another for themselves. The prophet therefore declares, "Be astonished, O heaven, and let the earth tremble at this, because this people hath committed two great evils: they have forsaken Me, a living fountain, and have hewn out for themselves broken cisterns. Is my holy hill Zion a desolate rock? For ye shall be as the fledglings of a bird, which fly away when the nest is removed." And again saith the prophet, "I will go before thee and make level the mountains, and will break the brazen gates, and bruise in pieces the iron bars; and I will give thee the secret,s hidden, invisible treasures, that they may know that I am the Lord God." And "He shall dwell in a lofty cave of the strong rock." Furthermore, what saith He in reference to the Son? "His water is sure; ye shall see the King in His glory, and your soul shall meditate on the fear of the Lord." And again He saith in another prophet, "The man who doeth these things shall be like a tree planted by the courses of waters, which shall yield its fruit in due season; and his leaf shall not fade, and all that he doeth shall prosper. Not so are the ungodly, not so, but even as chaff, which the wind sweeps away from the face of the earth. Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in judgment, nor sinners in the counsel of the just; for the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous, but the way of the ungodly shall perish." Mark how He has described at once both the water and the cross. For these words imply, Blessed are they who, placing their trust in the cross, have gone down into the water; for, says He, they shall receive their reward in due time: then He declares, I will recompense them. But now He saith, "Their leaves shall not fade." This meaneth, that every word which proceedeth out of your mouth in faith and love shall tend to bring conversion and hope to many. Again, another prophet saith, "And the land of Jacob shall be extolled above every land." This meaneth the vessel of His Spirit, which He shall glorify. Further, what says He? "And there was a river flowing on the right, and from it arose beautiful trees; and whosoever shall eat of them shall live for ever." This meaneth, that we indeed descend into the water full of sins and defilement, but come up, bearing fruit in our heart, having the fear [of God] and trust in Jesus in our spirit. "And whosoever shall eat of these shall live for ever," This meaneth: Whosoever, He declares, shall hear thee speaking, and believe, shall live for ever.
CHAPTER XII.--THE CROSS OF CHRIST FREQUENTLY ANNOUNCED IN THE OLD TESTAMENT.
In like manner He points to the cross of Christ in another prophet, who saith, "And when shall these things be accomplished? And the Lord saith, When a tree shall be bent down, and again arise, and when blood shall flow out of wood." Here again you have an intimation concerning the cross, and Him who should be crucified. Yet again He speaks of this in Moses, when Israel was attacked by strangers. And that He might remind them, when assailed, that it was on account of their sins they were delivered to death, the Spirit speaks to the heart of Moses, that he should make a figure of the cross, and of Him about to suffer thereon; for unless they put their trust in Him, they shall be overcome for ever. Moses therefore placed one weapon above another in the midst of the hill, and standing upon it, so as to be higher than all the people, he stretched forth his hands, and thus again Israel acquired the mastery. But when again he let down his hands, they were again destroyed. For what reason? That they might know that they could not be saved unless they put their trust in Him. And in another prophet He declares, "All day long I have stretched forth My hands to an unbelieving people, and one that gainsays My righteous way." And again Moses makes a type of Jesus, [signifying] that it was necessary for Him to suffer, [and also] that He would be the author of life [to others], whom they believed to have destroyed on the cross when Israel was failing. For since transgression was committed by Eve through means of the serpent, [the Lord] brought it to pass that every [kind of] serpents bit them, and they died, that He might convince them, that on account of their transgression they were given over to the straits of death. Moreover Moses, when he commanded, "Ye shall not have any graven or molten [image] for your God," did so that he might reveal a type of Jesus. Moses then makes a brazen serpent, and places it upon a beam, and by proclamation assembles the people. When, therefore, they were come together, they besought Moses that he would offer sacrifice in their behalf, and pray for their recovery. And Moses spake unto them, saying, "When any one of you is bitten, let him come to the serpent placed on the pole; and let him hope and believe, that even though dead, it is able to give him life, and immediately he shall be restored." And they did so. Thou hast in this also [an indication of] the glory of Jesus; for in Him and to Him are all things. What, again, says Moses to Jesus (Joshua) the son of Nave, when he gave him this name, as being a prophet, with this view only, that all the people might hear that the Father would reveal all things concerning His Son Jesus to the son of Nave? This name then being given him when he sent him to spy out the land, he said, "Take a book into thy hands, and write what the Lord declares, that the Son of God will in the last days cut off from the roots all the house of Amalek." Behold again: Jesus who was manifested, both by type and in the flesh, is not the Son of man, but the Son of God. Since, therefore, they were to say that Christ was the son of David, fearing and understanding the error of the wicked, he saith, "The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit at My right hand, until I make Thine enemies Thy footstool." And again, thus saith Isaiah, "The Lord said to Christ, my Lord, whose right hand I have holden, that the nations should yield obedience before Him; and I will break in pieces the strength of kings." Behold how David calleth Him Lord and the Son of God.
CHAPTER XIII.--CHRISTIANS, AND NOT JEWS, THE HEIRS OF THE COVENANT.
But let us see if this people is the heir, or the former, and if the covenant belongs to us or to them. Hear ye now what the Scripture saith concerning the people. Isaac prayed for Rebecca his wife, because she was barren; and she conceived. Furthermore also, Rebecca went forth to inquire of the Lord; and the Lord said to her, "Two nations are in thy womb, and two peoples in thy belly; and the one people shall surpass the other, and the eider shall serve the younger." You ought to understand who was Isaac, who Rebecca, and concerning what persons He declared that this people should be greater than that. And in another prophecy Jacob speaks more clearly to his son Joseph, saying, "Behold, the Lord hath not deprived me of thy presence; bring thy sons to me, that I may bless them." And he brought Manasseh and Ephraim, desiring that Manasseh should be blessed, because he was the eider. With this view Joseph led him to the right hand of his father Jacob. But Jacob saw in spirit the type of the people to arise afterwards. And what says [the Scripture]? And Jacob changed the direction of his bands, and laid his fight hand upon the head of Ephraim, the second and younger, and blessed him. And Joseph said to Jacob, "Transfer thy right hand to the head of Manasseh, for he is my first-born son." And Jacob said, "I know it, my son, I know it; but the eider shall serve the younger: yet he also shall be blessed." Ye see on whom he laid [his hands], that this people should be first, and heir of the covenant. If then, still further, the same thing was intimated through Abraham, we reach the perfection of our knowledge. What, then, says He to Abraham? "Because thou hast believed, it is imputed to thee for righteousness: behold, I have made thee the father of those nations who believe in the Lord while in [a state of] uncircumcision."
CHAPTER XIV.--THE LORD HATH GIVEN US THE TESTAMENT WHICH MOSES RECEIVED AND BROKE.
Yes [it is even so]; but let us inquire if the Lord has really given that testament which He swore to the fathers that He would give to the people. He did give it; but they were not worthy to receive it, on account of their sins. For the prophet declares, "And Moses was fasting forty days and forty nights on Mount Sinai, that he might receive the testament of the Lord for the people." And he received from the Lord two tables, written in the spirit by the finger of the hand of the Lord. And Moses having received them, carried them down to give to the people. And the Lord said to Moses, "Moses, Moses, go down quickly; for thy people hath sinned, whom thou didst bring out of the land of Egypt." And Moses understood that they had again made molten images; and he threw the tables out of his hands, and the tables of the testament of the Lord were broken. Moses then received it, but they proved themselves unworthy. Learn now how we have received it. Moses, as a servant, received it; but the Lord himself, having suffered in our behalf, hath given it to us, that we should be the people of inheritance. But He was manifested, in order that they might be perfected in their iniquities, and that we, being constituted heirs through Him, might receive the testament of the Lord Jesus, who was prepared for this end, that by His personal manifestation, redeeming our hearts (which were already wasted by death, and given over to the iniquity of error) from darkness, He might by His word enter into a covenant with us. For it is written how the Father, about to redeem us from darkness, commanded Him to prepare a holy people for Himself. The prophet therefore declares, "I, the Lord Thy God, have called Thee in righteousness, and will hold Thy hand, and will strengthen Thee; and I have given Thee for a covenant to the people, for a light to the nations, to open the eyes of the blind, and to bring forth from fetters them that are bound, and those that sit in darkness out of the prison-house." Ye perceive, then, whence we have been redeemed. And again, the prophet says, "Behold, I have appointed Thee as a light to the nations, that Thou mightest be for salvation even to the ends of the earth, saith the Lord God that redeemeth thee." And again, the prophet saith, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me; because He hath anointed me to preach the Gospel to the humble: He hath sent me to heal the broken-hearted, to proclaim deliverance to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind; to announce the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of recompense; to comfort all that mourn."
CHAPTER XV.--THE FALSE AND THE TRUE SABBATH.
Further, also, it is written concerning the Sabbath in the Decalogue which [the Lord] spoke, face to face, to Moses on Mount Sinai, "And sanctify ye the Sabbath of the Lord with clean hands and a pure heart." And He says in another place, "If my sons keep the Sabbath, then will I cause my mercy to rest upon them." The Sabbath is mentioned at the beginning of the creation [thus]: "And God made in six days the works of His hands, and made an end on the seventh day, and rested on it, and sanctified it." Attend, my children, to the meaning of this expression, "He finished in six days." This implieth that the Lord will finish all things in six thousand years, for a day is with Him a thousand years. And He Himself testifieth, saying, "Behold, to-day will be as a thousand years." Therefore, my children, in six days, that is, in six thousand years, all things will be finished. "And He rested on the seventh day." This meaneth: when His Son, coming [again], shall destroy the time of the wicked man, and judge the ungodly, and change the-sun, and the moon, and the stars, then shall He truly rest on the seventh day. Moreover, He says, "Thou shalt sanctify it with pure hands and a pure heart." If, therefore, any one can now sanctify the day which God hath sanctified, except he is pure in heart in all things, we are deceived. Behold, therefore: certainly then one properly resting sanctifies it, when we ourselves, having received the promise, wickedness no longer existing, and all things having been made new by the Lord, shall be able to work righteousness. Then we shall be able to sanctify it, having been first sanctified ourselves. Further, He says to them, "Your new moons and your Sabbath I cannot endure." Ye perceive how He speaks: Your present Sabbaths are not acceptable to Me, but that is which I have made, [namely this,] when, giving rest to all things, I shall make a beginning of the eighth day, that is, a beginning of another world. Wherefore, also, we keep the eighth day with joyfulness, the day also on which Jesus rose again from the dead. And when He had manifested Himself, He ascended into the heavens.
CHAPTER XVI.--THE SPIRITUAL TEMPLE OF GOD.
Moreover, I will also tell you concerning the temple, how the wretched [Jews], wandering in error, trusted not in God Himself, but in the temple, as being the house of God. For almost after the manner of the Gentiles they worshipped Him in the temple. But learn how the Lord speaks, when abolishing it: "Who hath meted out heaven with a span, and the earth with his palm? Have not I?""Thus saith the Lord, Heaven is My throne, and the earth My footstool: what kind of house will ye build to Me, or what is the place of My rest?" Ye perceive that their hope is vain. Moreover, He again says, "Behold, they who have cast down this temple, even they shall build it up again." It has so happened. For through their going to war, it was destroyed by their enemies; and now: they, as the servants of their enemies, shall rebuild it. Again, it was revealed that the city and the temple and the people of Israel were to be given up. For the Scripture saith, "And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the Lord will deliver up the sheep of His pasture, and their sheep-fold and tower, to destruction." And it so happened as the Lord had spoken. Let us inquire, then, if there still is a temple of God. There is--where He himself declared He would make and finish it. For it is written, "And it shall come to pass, when the week is completed, the temple of God shall be built in glory in the name of the Lord." I find, therefore, that a temple does exist. Learn, then, how it shall be built in the name of the Lord. Before we believed in God, the habitation of our heart was corrupt and weak, as being indeed like a temple made with hands. For it was full of idolatry, and was a habitation of demons, through our doing such things as were opposed to [the will of] God. But it shall be built, observe ye, in the name of the Lord, in order that the temple of the Lord may be built in glory. How? Learn [as follows]. Having received the forgiveness of sins, and placed our trust in the name of the Lord, we have become new creatures, formed again from the beginning. Wherefore in our habitation God truly dwells in us. How? His word of faith; His calling of promise; the wisdom of the statutes; the commands of the doctrine; He himself prophesying in us; He himself dwelling in us; opening to us who were enslaved by death the doors of the temple, that is, the mouth; and by giving us repentance introduced us into the incorruptible temple. He then, who wishes to be saved, looks not to man, but to Him who dwelleth in him, and speaketh in him, amazed at never having either heard him utter such words with his mouth, nor himself having ever desired to hear them. This is the spiritual temple built for the Lord.
CHAPTER XVII.--CONCLUSION OF THE FIRST PART OF THE EPISTLE.
As far as was possible, and could be done with perspicuity, I cherish the hope that, according to my desire, I have omitted none of those things at present [demanding consideration], which bear upon your salvation. For if I should write to you about things future, ye would not understand, because such knowledge is hid in parables. These things then are so.
CHAPTER XVIII.--SECOND PART OF THE EPISTLE. THE TWO WAYS.
But let us now pass to another sort of knowledge and doctrine. There are two ways of doctrine and authority, the one of light, and the other of darkness. But there is a great difference between these two ways. For over one are stationed the light-bringing angels of God, but over the other the angels' of Satan. And He indeed (i.e., God) is Lord for ever and ever, but he (i.e., Satan) is prince of the time of iniquity.
CHAPTER XIX.--THE WAY OF LIGHT.
The way of light, then, is as follows. If any one desires to travel to the appointed place, he must be zealous in his works. The knowledge, therefore, which is given to us for the purpose of walking in this way, is the following. Thou shalt love Him that created thee: thou shalt glorify Him that redeemed thee from death. Thou shalt be simple in heart, and rich in spirit. Thou shalt not join thyself to those who walk in the way of death. Thou shalt hate doing what is unpleasing to God: thou shalt hate all hypocrisy. Thou shalt not forsake the commandments of the Lord. Thou shalt not exalt thyself, but shalt be of a lowly mind. Thou shalt not take glory to thyself. Thou shalt not take evil counsel against thy neighbour. Thou shalt not allow over-boldness to enter into thy soul. Thou shalt not commit fornication: thou shalt not commit adultery: thou shalt not be a corrupter of youth. Thou shalt not let the word of God issue from thy lips with any kind of impurity. Thou shalt not accept persons when thou reprovest any one for transgression. Thou shalt be meek: thou shalt be peaceable. Thou shalt tremble at the words which thou hearest. Thou shalt not be mindful of evil against thy brother. Thou shalt not be of doubtful mind as to whether a thing shall be or not. Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord in vain. Thou shalt love thy neighbour more than thine own soul. Thou shalt not slay the child by procuring abortion; nor, again, shalt thou destroy it after it is born. Thou shalt not withdraw thy hand from thy son, or from thy daughter, but from their infancy thou shalt teach them the fear of the Lord. Thou shalt not covet what is thy neighbour's, nor shalt thou be avaricious. Thou shalt not be joined in soul with the haughty, but thou shalt be reckoned With the righteous and lowly. Receive thou as good things the trials which come upon thee. Thou shalt not be of double mind or of double tongue, for a double tongue is a snare of death. Thou shalt be subject to the Lord, and to [other] masters as the image of God, with modesty and fear. Thou shalt not issue orders with bitterness to thy maidservant or thy man-servant, who trust in the same [God], lest thou shouldst not reverence that God who is above both; for He came to call men not according to their outward appearance, but according as the Spirit had prepared them. Thou shalt communicate in all things with thy neighbour; thou shalt not call things thine own; for if ye are partakers in common of things which are incorruptible, how much more [should you be] of those things which are corruptible! Thou shalt not be hasty with thy tongue, for the mouth is a snare of death. As far as possible, thou shalt be pure in thy soul. Do not be ready to stretch forth thy hands to take, whilst thou contractest them to give. Thou shalt love, as the apple of thine eye, every one that speaketh to thee the word of the Lord. Thou shalt remember the day of judgment, night and day. Thou shalt seek out every day the faces of the saints, either by word examining them, and going to exhort them, and meditating how to save a soul by the word, or by thy hands thou shalt labour for the redemption of thy sins. Thou shalt not hesitate to give, nor murmur when thou givest. "Give to every one that asketh thee," and thou shalt know who is the good Recompenser of the reward. Thou shalt preserve what thou hast received [in charge], neither adding to it nor taking from it. To the last thou shalt hate the wicked [one]. Thou shalt judge righteously. Thou shalt not make a schism, but thou shalt pacify those that contend by bringing them together. Thou shalt confess thy sins. Thou shalt not go to prayer with an evil conscience. This is the way of light.
CHAPTER XX.--THE WAY OF DARKNESS.
But the way of darkness is crooked, and full of cursing; for it is the way of eternal death with punishment, in which way are the things that destroy the soul, viz., idolatry, over-confidence, the arrogance of power, hypocrisy, double-heartedness, adultery, murder, rapine, haughtiness, transgression, deceit, malice, self-sufficiency, poisoning, magic, avarice, want of the fear of God. [In this way, too,] are those who persecute the good, those who hate truth, those who love falsehood, those who know not the reward of righteousness, those who cleave not to that which is good, those who attend not with just judgment to the widow and orphan, those who watch not to the fear of God, [but incline] to wickedness, from whom meekness and patience are far off; persons who love vanity, follow after a reward, pity not the needy, labour not in aid of him who is overcome with toil; who are prone to evil-speaking, who know not Him that made them, who are murderers of children, destroyers of the workmanship of God; who turn away him that is in want, who oppress the afflicted, who are advocates of the rich, who are unjust judges of the poor, and who are in every respect transgressors.
CHAPTER XXI.--CONCLUSION.
It is well, therefore, that he who has learned the judgments of the Lord, as many as have been written, should walk in them. For he who keepeth these shall be glorified in the kingdom of God; but he who chooseth other things shall be destroyed with his works. On this account there will be a resurrection, on this account a retribution. I beseech you who are superiors, if you will receive any counsel of my good-will, have among yourselves those to whom you may show kindness: do not forsake them. For the day is at hand on which all things shall perish with the evil [one]. The Lord is near, and His reward. Again, and yet again, I beseech you: be good lawgivers to one another; continue faithful counsellors of one another; take away from among you all hypocrisy. And may God, who ruleth over all the world, give to you wisdom, intelligence, understanding, knowledge of His judgments, with patience. And be ye taught of God, inquiring diligently what the Lord asks from you; and do it that ye may be safe in the day of judgment. And if you have any remembrance of what is good, be mindful of me, meditating on these things, in order that both my desire and watchfulness may result in some good. I beseech you, entreating this as a favour. While yet you are in this fair vessel, do not fail in any one of those things, but unceasingly seek after them, and fulfil every commandment; for these things are worthy. Wherefore I have been the more earnest to write to you, as my ability served, that I might cheer you. Farewell, ye children of love and peace. The Lord of glory and of all grace be with your spirit. Amen.
The Shepherd of Hermas
First Book: Visions
First Vision
AGAINST FILTHY AND PROUD THOUGHTS, AND THE CARELESSNESS OF HERMAS IN CHASTISING HIS SONS.
CHAPTER I
He who had brought me up, sold me to one Rhode in Rome. Many years after this I recognised her, and I began to love her as a sister. Some time after, I saw her bathe in the river Tiber; and I gave her my hand, and drew her out of the river. The sight of her beauty made me think with myself, "I should be a happy man if I could but get a wife as handsome and good as she is." This was the only thought that passed through me: this and nothing more. A short time after this, as I was walking on my road to the villages, and magnifying the creatures of God, and thinking how magnificent, and beautiful, and powerful they are, I fell asleep. And the Spirit carried me away, and took me through a pathless place, through which a man could not travel, for it was situated in the midst of rocks; it was rugged and impassible on account of water. Having passed over this river, I came to a plain. I then bent down on my knees, and began to pray to the Lord and to confess my sins. And as I prayed, the heavens were opened, and I see the woman whom I had desired saluting me from the sky, and saying, "Hail, Hermas!" And looking up to her, I said, "Lady, what doest thou here?" And she answered me, "I have been taken up here to accuse you of your sins before the Lord." "Lady," said I, "are you to be the subject of my accusation?" "No," said she; "but hear the words which I am going to speak to you. God, who dwells in the heavens, and made out of nothing the things that exist, and multiplied and increased them on account of His holy Church, is angry with you for having sinned against me." I answered her, "Lady, have I sinned against you? How? or when spoke I an unseemly word to you? Did I not always think of you as a lady? Did I not always respect you as a sister? Why do you falsely accuse me of this wickedness and impurity?" With a smile she replied to me, "The desire of wickedness arose within your heart. Is it not your opinion that a righteous man commits sin when an evil desire arises in his heart? There is sin in such a case, and the sin is great," said she; "for the thoughts of a righteous man should be righteous. For by thinking righteously his character is established in the heavens, and he has the Lord merciful to him in every business. But those who entertain wicked thoughts in their minds are bringing upon themselves death and captivity; and especially is this the case with those who set their affections on this world, and glory in their riches, and look not forward to the blessings of the life to come. For many will their regrets be; for they have no hope, but have despaired of themselves and their life. But do thou pray to God, and He will heal thy sins, and the sins of thy whole house, and of all the saints."
CHAPTER II.
After she had spoken these words, the heavens were shut. I was overwhelmed with sorrow and fear, and said to myself, "If this sin is assigned to me, how can I be saved, or how shall I propitiate God in regard to my sins, which are of the grossest character? With what words shall I ask the Lord to be merciful to me? While I was thinking over these things, and discussing them in my mind, I saw opposite to me a chair, white, made of white wool, of great size. And there came up an old woman, arrayed in a splendid robe, and with a book in her hand; and she sat down alone, and saluted me, "Hail, Hermas!" And in sadness and tears I said to her, "Lady, hail!" And she said to me, "Why are you downcast, Hermas? for you were wont to be patient and temperate, and always smiling. Why are you so gloomy, and not cheerful?
I answered her and said, "O Lady, I have been reproached by a very good woman, who says that I sinned against her." And she said, "Far be such a deed from a servant of God. But perhaps a desire after her has arisen within your heart. Such a wish, in the case of the servants of God, produces sin. For it is a wicked and horrible wish in an all-chaste and already well-tried spirit to desire an evil deed; and especially for Hermas so to do, who keeps himself from all wicked desire, and is full of all simplicity, and of great guilelessness.
CHAPTER III.
"But God is not angry with you on account of this, but that you may convert your house, which have committed iniquity against the Lord, and against you, their parents. And although you love your sons, yet did you not warn your house, but permitted them to be terribly corrupted. On this account is the Lord angry with you, but He will heal all the evils which have been done in your house. For, on account of their sins and iniquities, you have been destroyed by the affairs of this world. But now the mercy of the Lord has taken pity on you and your house, and will strengthen you, and establish you in his glory. Only be not easy-minded, but be of good courage and comfort your house. For as a smith hammers out his work, and accomplishes whatever he wishes," so shall righteous daily speech overcome all iniquity. Cease not therefore to admonish your sons; for I know that, if they will repent with all their heart, they will be enrolled in the Books of Life with the saints." Having ended these words, she said to me, "Do you wish to hear me read?" I say to her, "Lady, I do." "Listen then, and give ear to the glories of God." And then I heard from her, magnificently and admirably, things which my memory could not retain. For all the words were terrible, such as man could not endure. The last words, however, I did remember; for they were useful to us, and gentle. "Lo, the God of powers, who by His invisible strong power and great wisdom has created the world, and by His glorious counsel has surrounded His creation with beauty, and by His strong word has fixed the heavens and laid the foundations of the earth upon the waters, and by His own wisdom and providence has created His holy Church, which He has blessed, lo! He removes the heavens and the mountains, the hills and the seas, and all things become plain to His elect, that He may bestow on them the blessing which He has promised them, with much glory and joy, if only they shall keep the commandments of God which they have received in great faith."
CHAPTER IV.
When she had ended her reading, she rose from the chair, and four young men came and carried off the chair and went away to the east. And she called me to herself and touched my breast, and said to me," Have you been pleased with my reading?" And I say to her, "Lady, 11
the last words please me, but the first are cruel and harsh." Then she said to me, "The last are for the righteous: the first are for heathens and apostates." And while she spoke to me, two men appeared and raised her on their shoulders, and they went to where the chair was in the east. With joyful countenance did she depart; and as she went, she said to me, "Behave like a man, Hermas."
Second Vision
AGAIN, OF HIS NEGLECT IN CHASTISING HIS TALKATIVE WIFE AND HIS LUSTFUL SONS, AND OF HIS CHARACTER.
CHAPTER I.
As I was going to the country about the same time as on the previous year, in my walk I recalled to memory the vision of that year. And again the Spirit carried me away, and took me to the same place where I had been the year before. On coming to that place, I bowed my knees and began to pray to the Lord, and to glorify His name, because He had deemed me worthy, and had made known to me my former sins. On rising from prayer, I see opposite me that old woman, whom I had seen the year before, walking and reading some book. And she says to me, "Can you carry a report of these things to the elect of God?" I say to her, "Lady, so much I cannot retain in my memory, but give me the book and I shall transcribe it." "Take it," says she, "and you will give it back to me." Thereupon I took it, and going away into a certain part of the country, I transcribed the whole of it letter by letter; but the syllables of it I did not catch. No sooner, however, had I finished the writing of the book, than all of a sudden it was snatched from my hands; but who the person was that snatched it, I saw not.
CHAPTER II.
Fifteen days after, when I had fasted and prayed much to the Lord, the knowledge of the writing was revealed to me. Now the writing was to this effect: "Your seed, O Hermas, has sinned against God, and they have blasphemed against the Lord, and in their great wickedness they have betrayed their parents. And they passed as traitors of their parents, and by their treachery did they not reap profit. And even now they have added to their sins lusts and iniquitous pollutions, and thus their iniquities have, been filled up. But make known these words to all your children, and to your wife, who is to be your sister. For she does not restrain her tongue, with which she commits iniquity; but, on hearing these words, she will control herself, and will obtain mercy. For after you have made known to them these words which my Lord has commanded me to reveal to you, then shall they be forgiven all the sins which in former times they committed, and forgiveness will be granted to all the saints who have sinned even to the present day, if they repent with all their heart, and drive all doubts from their minds. For the Lord has sworn by His glory, in regard to His elect, that if any one of them sin after a certain day which has been fixed, he shall not be saved. For the repentance of the righteous has limits. Filled up are the days of repentance to all the saints; but to the heathen, repentance will be possible even to the last day. You will tell, therefore, those who preside over the Church, to direct their ways in righteousness, that they may receive in full the promises with great glory. Stand stedfast, therefore, ye who work righteous, ness, and doubt not, that your passage may be with the holy angels. Happy ye who endure the great tribulation that is coming on, and happy they who shall not deny their own life. For the Lord hath sworn by His Son, that those who denied their Lord have abandoned their life in despair, for even now these are to deny Him in the days that are coming. To those who denied in earlier times, God became gracious, on account of His exceeding tender mercy.
CHAPTER III.
"But as for you, Hermas, remember not the wrongs done to you by your children, nor neglect your sister, that they may be cleansed from their former sins. For they will be instructed with righteous instruction, if you remember not the wrongs they have done you. For the remembrance of wrongs worketh death. And you, Henna, have endured great personal tribulations on account of the transgressions of your house, because you did not attend to them, but were careless and engaged in your wicked transactions. But you are saved, because you did not depart from the living God, and on account of your simplicity and great self-control. These have saved you, if you remain stedfast. And they will save all who act in the same manner, and walk in guilelessness and simplicity. Those who possess such virtues will wax strong against every form of wickedness, and will abide unto eternal life. Blessed are all they who practise righteousness, for they shall never be destroyed. Now you will tell Maximus: Lo! tribulation cometh on. If it seemeth good to thee, deny again. The Lord is near to them who return unto Him, as it is written in Eldad and Modat, who prophesied to the people in the wilderness."
CHAPTER IV.
Now a revelation was given to me, my brethren, while I slept, by a young man of comely appearance, who said to me, "Who do you think that old woman is from whom you received the book?" And I said, "The Sibyl." "You are in a mistake," says he; "it is not the Sibyl." "Who is it then?" say I. And he said, "It is the Church." And I said to him, "Why then is she an old woman? "Because," said he, "she was created first of all. On this account is she old. And for her sake was the world made." After that I saw a vision in my house, and that old woman came and asked me, if I had yet given the book to the presbyters. And I said that I had not. And then she said, "You have done well for I have some words to add. But when I finish all the words, all the elect will then become acquainted with them through you. You will write therefore two books, and you will send the one to Clemens and the other to Grapte. And Clemens will send his to foreign countries, for permission has been granted to him to do so. And Grapte will admonish the widows and the orphans. But you will read the words in this city, along with the presbyters who preside over the Church.
Third Vision
CONCERNING THE BUILDING OF THE TRIUMPHANT CHURCH, AND THE VARIOUS CLASSES OF REPROBATE MEN.
CHAPTER I.
The vision which I saw, my brethren, was of the following nature. Having fasted frequently, and having prayed to the Lord that He would show me the revelation which He promised to show me through that old woman, the same night that old woman appeared to me, and said to me, "Since you are so anxious and eager to know all things, go into the part of the country where you tarry; and about the fifth hour I shall appear unto you, and show you all that you ought to see." I asked her, saying "Lady, into what part of the country am I to go?" And she said, "Into any part you wish." Then I chose a spot which was suitable, and retired. Before, however, I began to speak and to mention the place, she said to me, "I will come where you wish." Accordingly, I went to the country, and counted the hours, and reached the place where I, had promised to meet her. And I see an ivory seat ready placed, and on it a linen cushion, and above the linen cushion was spread a covering of fine linen. Seeing these laid out, and yet no one in the place, I began to feel awe, and as it were a trembling seized hold of me, and my hair stood on end, and as it were a horror came upon me when I saw that I was all alone. But on coming back to myself and calling to mind the glory of God, I took courage, bent my knees, and again confessed my sins to God as I had done before. Whereupon the old woman approached, accompanied by six young men whom I had also seen before; and she stood behind me, and listened to me, as I prayed and confessed my sins to the Lord. And touching me she said, "Hermas, cease praying continually for your sins; pray for righteousness, that you may 13
have a portion of it immediately in your house." On this, she took me up by the hand, and brought me to the seat, and said to the young men, "Go and build." When the young men had gone and we were alone, she said to me, "Sit here." I say to her, "Lady, 'permit my elders to be seated first." "Do what I bid you," said she; "sit down." When I would have sat down on her right, she did not permit me, but with her hand beckoned to me to sit down on the left. While I was thinking about this, and feeling vexed that she did not let me sit on the right, she said, "Are you vexed, Hermas? The place to the right is for others who have already pleased God, and have suffered for His name's sake; and you have yet much to accomplish before you can sit with them. But abide as you now do in your simplicity, and you will sit with them, and with all who do their deeds and bear what they have borne."
CHAPTER II.
"What have they borne?" said I. "Listen," said she: "scourges, prisons, great tribulations, crosses, wild beasts, for God's name's sake. On this account is assigned to them the division of santification on the right hand, and to every one who shall suffer for God's name: to the rest is assigned the division on the left. But both for those who sit on the right, and those who sit on the left, there are the same gifts and promises; only those sit on the right, and have some glory. You then are eager to sit on the right with them, but your shortcomings are many. But you will be cleansed from your shortcomings; and all who are not given to doubts shall be cleansed from all their iniquities up till this day." Saying this, she wished to go away. But falling down at her feet, I begged her by the Lord that she would show me the vision which she had promised to show me. And then she again took hold of me by the hand, and raised me, and made me sit on the seat to the left; and lifting up a splendid rod, she said to me, "Do you see something great?" And I say, "Lady, I see nothing." She said to me, "Lo! do you not see opposite to you a great tower, built upon the waters, of splendid square stones?" For the tower was built square by those six young men who had come with her. But myriads of men were carrying stones to it, some dragging them from the depths, others removing them from the land, and they handed them to these six young men. They were taking them and building; and those. of the stones that were dragged out of the depths, they placed in the building just as they were: for they were polished and fitted exactly into the other stones, and became so united one with another that the lines of juncture could not be perceived. And in this way the building of the tower looked as if it were made out of one stone. Those stones, however, which were taken from the earth suffered a different fate; for the young men rejected some of them, some they fitted into the building, and some they cut down, and cast far away from the tower. Many other stones, however, lay around the tower, and the young men did not use them in building; for some of them were rough, others had cracks in them, others had been made too short, and others were white and round, but did not fit into the building of the tower. Moreover, I saw other stones thrown far away from the tower, and falling into the public road; yet they did not remain on the road, but were rolled into a pathless place. And I saw others falling into the fire and burning, others falling close to the water, and yet not capable of being rolled into the water, though they wished to be rolled down, and to enter the water.
CHAPTER III.
On showing me these visions, she wished to retire. I said to her, "What is the use of my having seen all this, while I do not know what it means?" She said to me, "You are a cunning fellow, wishing to know everything that relates to the tower." "Even so, O Lady," said I, "that I may tell it to my brethren, that, hearing this, they may know the Lord in much glory." And she said, "Many indeed shall hear, and hearing, some shall be glad, and some shall weep. But even these, if they hear and repent, shall also rejoice. Hear, then, the parables of the tower; for I will reveal all to you, and give me no more trouble in regard to revelation: for these revelations have an end, for they have been completed. But you will not cease praying for revelations, for you are shameless. The tower which you see building is myself, the Church, who have appeared to you now and on the former occasion. Ask, then, whatever you like in regard to the tower, and I will reveal it to you, that you may rejoice with the saints." I said unto her, "Lady, since you have vouchsafed to reveal all to me this once, reveal it." She said to me, "Whatsoever ought to be revealed, will be revealed; only let your heart be with God, and doubt not whatsoever you shall see."
14
I asked her, "Why was the tower built upon the waters, O Lady?" She answered, "I told you before, and you still inquire carefully: therefore inquiring you shall find the truth. Hear then why the tower is built upon the waters. It is because your life has been, and will be, saved through water. For the tower was founder on the word of the almighty and glorious Name and it is kept together by the invisible power of the Lord."
CHAPTER IV.
In reply I said to her, "This is magnificent and marvellous. But who are the six young men who are engaged in building?" And she said, "These are the holy angels of God, who were first created, and to whom the Lord handed over His whole creation, that they might increase and build up and rule over the whole creation. By these will the building of the tower be finished." "But who are the other persons who are engaged in carrying the stones?" These also are holy angels of the Lord, but the former six are more excellent than these. The building of the tower will be finished, and all will rejoice together around the tower, and they will glorify God, because the tower is finished." I asked her, saying, "Lady, I should like to know what became of the stones, and what was meant by the various kinds of stones?" In reply she said to me, "Not because you are more deserving than all others that this revelation should be made to you--for there are others before you, and better than you, to whom these visions should have been revealed--but that the name of God may be glorified, has the revelation been made to you, and it will be made on account of the doubtful who ponder in their hearts whether these things will be or not. Tell them that all these things are true, and that none of them is beyond the truth. All of them are firm and sure, and established on a strong foundation.
CHAPTER V.
"Hear now with regard to the stones which are in the building. Those square white stones which fitted exactly into each other, are apostles, bishops, teachers, and deacons, who have lived in godly purity, and have acted as bishops and teachers and deacons chastely and reverently to the elect of God. Some of them have fallen asleep, and some still remain alive. And they have always agreed with each other, and been at peace among themselves, and listened to each other. On account of this, they join exactly into the building of the tower." "But who are the stones that were dragged from the depths, and which were laid into the building and fitted in with the rest of the stones previously placed in the tower?" "They are those who suffered for the Lord's sake." "But I wish to know, O Lady, who are the other stones which were carried from the land." "Those," she said, "which go into the building without being polished, are those whom God has approved of, for they walked in the straight ways of the Lord and practised His commandments." "But who are those who are in the act of being brought and placed in the building?" "They are those who are young in faith and are faithful. But they are admonished by the angels to do good, for no iniquity has been found in them." "Who then are those whom they rejected and cast away?" "These are they who have sinned, and wish to repent. On this account they have not been thrown far from the tower, because they will yet be useful in the building, if they repent. Those then who are to repent, if they do repent, will be strong in faith, if they now repent while the tower is building. For if the building be finished, there will not be more room for any one, but he will be rejected. This privilege, however, will belong only to him who has now been placed near the tower.
CHAPTER VI.
"As to those who were cut down and thrown far away from the tower, do you wish to know who they are? They are the sons of iniquity, and they believed in hypocrisy, and wickedness did not depart from them. For this reason they are not saved, since they cannot be used in the building on account of their iniquities. Wherefore they have been cut off and cast far away on account of the anger of the Lord, for they have roused Him to anger. But I shall explain to you the other stones which you saw lying in great numbers, and not going into the building. Those which are rough are those who have known the truth and not remained in it, nor have they been joined to the saints. On this account are they unfit for use." "Who are those that have rents?" "These are they who are at discord in their hearts one with another, and are not at peace amongst themselves: they indeed keep peace before each other, but when they separate one from the other, their wicked thoughts remain in 15
their hearts. These, then, are the rents which are in the stones. But those which are shortened are those who have indeed believed, and have the larger share of righteousness; yet they have also a considerable share of iniquity, and therefore they are shortened and not whole." "But who are these, Lady, that are white and round, and yet do not fit into the building of the tower?" She answered and said, "How long will you be foolish and stupid, and continue to put every kind of question and understand nothing? These are those who have faith indeed, but they have also the riches of this world. When, therefore, tribulation comes, on account of their riches and business they deny the Lord." I answered and said to her, "When, then, will they be useful for the building, Lady?"When the riches that now seduce them have been circumscribed, then will they be of use to God. For as a round stone cannot become square unless portions be cut off and cast away, so also those who are rich in this world cannot be useful to the Lord unless their riches be cut down. Learn this first from your own case. When you were rich, you were useless; but now you are useful and fit for life. Be ye useful to God; for you also will be used as one of these stones.
CHAPTER VII,
"Now the other stones which you saw cast far away from the tower, and falling upon the public road and rolling from it into pathless places, are those who have indeed believed, but through doubt have abandoned the true road. Thinking, then, that they could find a better, they wander and become wretched, and enter upon pathless places. But those which fell into the fire and were burned? are those who have departed for ever from the living God; nor does the thought of repentance ever come into their hearts, on account of their devotion to their lusts and to the crimes which they committed. Do you wish to know who are the others which fell near the waters, but could not be rolled into them? These are they who have heard the word, and wish to be baptized in the name of the Lord; but when the chastity demanded by the truth comes into their recollection, they draw back, and again walk after their own wicked desires." She finished her exposition of the tower. But I, shameless as I yet was, asked her, "Is repentance possible for all those stones which have been cast away and did not fit into the building of the tower, and will they yet have a place in this tower?" "Repentance," said she, "is yet possible, but in this tower they cannot find a suitable place. But in another and much inferior place they will be laid, and that, too, only when they have been tortured and completed the days of their sins. And on this account will they be transferred, because they have partaken of the righteous Word. And then only will they be removed from their punishments when the thought of repenting of the evil deeds which they have done has come into their hearts. But if it does not come into their hearts, they will not be saved, on account of the hardness of their heart."
CHAPTER VIII.
When then I ceased asking in regard to all these matters, she said to me, "Do you wish to see anything else?" And as I was extremely eager to see something more, my countenance beamed with joy. She looked towards me with a smile, and said, "Do you see seven women around the tower?" "I do, Lady," said I. "This tower," said she, "is supported by them according to the precept of the Lord. Listen now to their functions. The first of them, who is clasping her hands, is called Faith. Through her the elect of God are saved? Another, who has her garments tucked up and acts with vigour, is called Self-restraint. She is the daughter of Faith. Whoever then follows her will become happy in his life, because he will restrain himself from all evil works, believing that, if he restrain himself from all evil desire, he will inherit eternal life." "But the others," said I, "O Lady, who are they?" And she said to me, "They are daughters of each other. One of them is called Simplicity, another Guilelessness, another Chastity, another Intelligence, another Love. When then you do all the works of their mother, you will be able to live." "I should like to know," said I, "O Lady, what power each one of them possesses." "Hear," she said, "what power they have. Their powers are regulated by each other, and follow each other in the 16
order of their birth. For from Faith arises Self-restraint; from Self-restraint, Simplicity; from Simplicity, Guilelessness; from Guilelessness, Chastity; from Chastity, Intelligence; and from Intelligence, Love. The deeds, then, of these are pure, and chaste, and divine. Whoever devotes himself to these, and is able to hold fast by their works, shall have his dwelling in the tower with the saints of God." Then I asked her in regard to the ages, if now there is the conclusion. She cried out with a loud voice, "Foolish man! do you not see the tower yet building? When the tower is finished and built, then comes the end; and I assure you it will be soon finished. Ask me no more questions. Let you and all the saints be content with what I have called to your remembrance, and with my renewal of your spirits.
But observe that it is not for your own sake only that these revelations have been made to you, but they have been given you that you may show them to all.
For after three days--this you will take care to remember--I Command you to speak all the words which I am to say to you into the ears of the saints, that hearing them and doing them, they may be cleansed from their iniquities, and you along with them."
CHAPTER IX.
Give ear unto me, O Sons: I have brought you up in much simplicity, and guilelessness, and chastity, on account of the mercy of the Lord, who has dropped His righteousness down upon you, that ye may be made righteous and holy from all your iniquity and depravity; but you do not wish to rest from your iniquity. Now, therefore, listen to me, and be at peace one with another, and visit each other, and bear each other's burdens, and do not partake of God's creatures alone, but give abundantly of them to the needy. For some through the abundance of their food produce weakness in their flesh, and thus corrupt their flesh; while the flesh of others who have no food is corrupted, because they have not sufficient nourishment. And on this account their bodies waste away. This intemperance in eating is thus injurious to you who have abundance and do not distribute among those who are needy. Give heed to the judgment that is to come. Ye, therefore, who are high in position, seek out the hungry as long as the tower is not yet finished; for after the tower is finished, you will wish to do good, but will find no opportunity. Give heed, therefore, ye who glory in your wealth, lest those who are needy should groan, and their groans should ascend to the Lord, and ye be shut out with all your goods beyond the gate of the tower. Wherefore I now say to you who preside over the Church and love the first seats, "Be not like to drug-mixers. For the drug-mixers carry their drugs in boxes, but ye carry your drug and poison m your heart. Ye are hardened, and do not wish to cleanse your hearts, and to add unity of aim to purity of heart, that you may have mercy from the great King. Take heed, therefore, children, that these dissensions of yours do not deprive you of your life. How will you instruct the elect of the Lord, if you yourselves have not instruction? Instruct each other therefore, and be at peace among yourselves, that I also, standing joyful before your Father, may give an account of you all to your Lord."
CHAPTER X.
On her ceasing to speak to me, those six young men who were engaged in building came and conveyed her to the tower, and other four lifted up the seat and carried it also to the tower. The faces of these last I did not see, for they were turned away from me. And as she was going, I asked her to reveal to me the meaning of the three forms in which she appeared to me. In reply she said to me: "With regard to them, you must ask another to reveal their meaning to you." For she had appeared to me, brethren, in the first vision the previous year under the form of an exceedingly old woman, sitting in a chair. In the second vision her face was youthful, but her skin and hair betokened age, and she stood while she spoke to me. She was also more joyful than on the first occasion. But in the third vision she was entirely youthful and exquisitely beautiful, except only that she had the hair of an old woman; but her face beamed with joy, and she sat on a seat. Now I was exceeding sad in regard to these appearances, for I longed much to know what the visions meant. Then I see the old woman in a vision of the night saying unto me: "Every prayer should be accompanied with humility: fast, therefore, and you will obtain from the Lord what you beg." I fasted therefore for one day.
That very night there appeared to me a young man, who said, "Why do you frequently ask revelations in prayer? Take heed lest by asking many things you injure your flesh: be content 17
with these revelations. Will you be able to see greater' revelations than those which you have seen?" I answered and said to him, "Sir, one thing only I ask, that in regard to these three forms the revelation may be rendered complete." He answered me, "How long are ye senseless? But your doubts make you senseless, because you have not your hearts turned towards the Lord." But I answered and said to him, "From you, sir, we shall learn these things more accurately."
CHAPTER XI.
"Hear then," said he, "with regard to the three forms, concerning which you are inquiring. Why in the first vision did she appear to you as an old woman seated on a chair? Because your spirit is now old and withered up, and has lost its power in consequence of your infirmities and doubts. For, like elderly men who have no hope of renewing their strength, and expect nothing but their last sleep, so you, weakened by worldly occupations, have given yourselves up to sloth, and have not cast your cares upon the Lord. Your spirit therefore is broken, and you have grown old in your sorrows." "I should like then to know, sir, why she sat on a chair?" He answered, "Because every weak person sits on a chair on account of his weakness, that his weakness may be sustained. Lo! you have the form of the first vision.
CHAPTER XII.
"Now in the second vision you saw her standing with a youthful countenance, and more joyful than before; still she had the skin and hair of an aged woman. Hear," said he, "this parable also. When one becomes somewhat old, he despairs of himself on account of his weakness and poverty, and looks forward to nothing but the last day of his life. Then suddenly an inheritance is left him: and hearing of this, he rises up, and becoming exceeding joyful, he puts on strength. And now he no longer reclines, but stands up; and his spirit, already destroyed by his previous actions, is renewed, and he no longer sits, but acts with vigour. So happened it with you on hearing the revelation which God gave you. For the Lord had compassion on you, and renewed your spirit, and ye laid aside your infirmities. Vigour arose within you, and ye grew strong in faith; and the Lord, seeing your strength, rejoiced. On this account He showed you the building of the tower; and He will show you other things, if you continue at peace with each other with all your heart.
CHAPTER XIII.
"Now, in the third vision, you saw her still younger, and she was noble and joyful, and her shape was beautiful. For, just as when some good news comes suddenly to one who is sad, immediately he forgets his former sorrows, and looks for nothing else than the good news which he has heard, and for the future is made strong for good, and his spirit is renewed on account of the joy which he has received; so ye also have received the renewal of your spirits by seeing these good things. As to your seeing her sitting on a seat, that means that her position is one of strength, for a seat has four feet and stands firmly. For the world also is kept together by means of four elements. Those, therefore, who repent completely and with the whole heart, will become young and firmly established. You now have the revelation completely given you? Make no further demands for revelations. If anything ought to be revealed, it will be revealed to you."
Fourth Vision
CONCERNING THE TRIAL AND TRIBULATION THAT ARE TO COME UPON MEN.
CHAPTER I.
Twenty days after the former vision I saw another vision, brethren --a representation of the tribulation that is to come. I was going to a country house along the Campanian road. Now the house lay about ten furlongs from the public road. The district is one rarely traversed. And as I walked alone, I prayed the Lord to complete the revelations which He had made to me through His holy Church, that He might strengthen me, and give repentance to all His servants who were going astray, that His great and glorious name might be glorified because He vouchsafed to show me His marvels. And while I was glorifying Him and giving Him thanks, a voice, as it were, answered me, "Doubt not, Hermas;" and I began to think with myself, and to say, "What reason have I to doubt--I who have been established by the Lord, and who have seen such glorious sights?" I advanced a little, brethren, and, lo! I see dust rising even to the heavens. I began to say to myself, "Are cattle approaching and raising the dust?" It was about a furlong's distance from me. And, 18
lo! I see the dust rising more and more, so that I imagined that it was something sent from God. But the sun now shone out a little, and, lo! I see a mighty beast like a whale, and out of its mouth fiery locusts proceeded. But the size of that beast was about a hundred feet, and it had a head like an urn. I began to weep, and to call on the Lord to rescue me from it. Then I remembered the word which I had heard, "Doubt not, O Hermas." Clothed, therefore, my brethren, with faith in the Lord? and remembering the great things which He had taught me, I boldly faced the beast. Now that beast came on with such noise and force, that it could itself have destroyed a city. I came near it, and the monstrous beast stretched itself out on the ground, and showed nothing but its tongue, and did not stir at all until I had passed by it. Now the beast had four colours on its head-black, then fiery and bloody, then golden, and lastly white.
CHAPTER II.
Now after I had passed by the wild beast, and had moved forward about thirty feet, lo! a virgin meets me, adorned as if she were proceeding from the bridal chamber, clothed entirely in white, and with white sandals, and veiled up to her forehead, and her head was covered by a hood.s And she had white hair. I knew from my former visions that this was the Church, and I became more joyful. She saluted me, and said, "Hail, O man!" And I returned her salutation, and said, "Lady, hail!" And she answered. and said to me, "Has nothing crossed your path?" I say, "I was met by a beast of such a size that it could destroy peoples, but through the power of the Lord and His great mercy I escaped from it." "Well did you escape from it," says she, "because you cast your care on God, and opened your heart to the Lord, believing that you can be saved by no other than by His great and glorious name. On this account the Lord has sent His angel, who has rule over the beasts, and whose name is Thegri, and has shut up its mouth, so that it cannot tear you. You have escaped from great tribulation on account of your faith, and because you did not doubt in the presence of such a beast. Go, therefore, and tell the elect of the Lord His mighty deeds, and say to them that this beast is a type of the great tribulation that is coming. If then ye prepare yourselves, and repent with all your heart, and turn to the Lord, it will be possible for you to escape it, if your heart be pure and spotless, and ye spend the rest of the days of your life in serving the Lord blamelessly. Cast your cares upon the Lord, and He will direct them. Trust the Lord, ye who doubt, for He is all-powerful, and can turn His anger away from you, and send scourges" on the doubters. Woe to those who hear these words, and despise them: better were it for them not to have been born."
CHAPTER III.
I asked her about the four colours which the beast had on his head. And she answered, and said to me, "Again you are inquisitive in regard to such matters." "Yea, Lady, said I, "make known to me what they are." "Listen,"
said she: "the black is the world in which we dwell: but the fiery and bloody points out that the world must perish through blood and fire: but the golden part are you who have escaped from this world. For as gold is tested by fire, and thus becomes useful, so are you tested who dwell in it. Those, therefore, who continue stedfast, and are put through the fire, will be purified by means of it. For as gold casts away its dross, so also will ye cast away all sadness and straitness, and will be made pure so as to fit into the building of the tower. But the white part is the age that is to come, in which the elect of God will dwell, since those elected by God to eternal life will be spotless and pure. Wherefore cease not speaking these things into the ears of the saints. This then is the type of the great tribulation that is to come. If ye wish it, it will be nothing. Remember those things which were written down before." And saying this, she departed. But I saw not into what place she retired. There was a noise, however, and I turned round in alarm, thinking that that beast was coming.
Fifth Vision
CONCERNING THE COMMANDMENTS.
After I had been praying at home, and had sat down on my couch, there entered a man of glorious aspect, dressed like a shepherd, with a white goat's skin, a wallet on his shoulders, and a rod in his hand, and saluted me. I returned his salutation. And straightway he sat down beside me, and said to me, "I have been sent by a most venerable angel to dwell with you the remaining days of your life." And I thought that he had come to tempt me, and I said to him, "Who are you? For I know him to whom I have been entrusted." He said to me, "Do you not know me?" "No," said I. "I," said he, "am that shepherd to whom you have been entrusted." And as he was speaking, his figure was changed; and then I knew that it was he to whom I had been entrusted. And straightway I became confused, and fear took hold of me, and I was overpowered with deep sorrow that I had answered him so wickedly and foolishly. But he answered, and said to me, "Do not be confounded, but receive strength from the commandments which I am going to give you. For I have been sent," said he, "to show you again all the things which you saw before, especially those of them which are useful to you. First of all, then, write down my commandments and similitudes, and you will write the other things as I shall show you. For this purpose," said he, "I command you to write down the commandments and similitudes first, that you may read them easily, and be able to keep them." Accordingly I wrote down the commandments and similitudes, exactly as he had ordered me. If then, when you have heard these, ye keep them and walk in them, and practise them with pure minds, you will receive from the Lord all that He has promised to you. But if, after you have heard them, ye do not repent, but continue to add to your sins, then shall ye receive from the Lord the opposite things. All these words did the shepherd, even the angel of repentance, command me to write.
Second Book: Commandments
First Commandment
ON FAITH IN GOD.
FIRST Of all, believe that there is one God who created and finished all things, and made all things out of nothing. He alone is able to contain the whole, but Himself cannot be contained. Have faith therefore in Him, and fear Him; and fearing Him, exercise self-control. Keep these commands, and you will cast away from you all wickedness, and put on the strength of righteousness, and live to God, if you keep this commandment.
Second Commandment
ON AVOIDING EVIL-SPEAKING, AND ON GIVING ALMS IN SIMPLICITY.
He said to me, "Be simple and guileless, and you will be as the children who know not the wickedness that ruins the life of men. First, then, speak evil of no one, nor listen with pleasure to any one who speaks evil of another. But if you listen, you will partake of the sin of him who speaks evil, if you believe the slander which you hear; for believing it, you will also have something to say against your brother. Thus, then, will you be guilty of the sin of him who slanders. For slander is evil and an unsteady demon. It never abides in peace, but always remains in discord. Keep yourself from it, and you will always be at peace with all. Put on a holiness in which there is no wicked cause of offence, but all deeds that are equable and joyful. Practise goodness; and from the rewards of your labours, which God gives you, give to all the needy in simplicity, not hesitating as to whom you are to give or not to give. Give to all, for God wishes His gifts to be shared amongst all. They who receive, will render an account to God why and for what they have received. For the afflicted who receive will not be condemned, but they who receive on false pretences will suffer punishment. He, then, who gives is guiltless. For as he received from the Lord, so has he accomplished his service in simplicity, not hesitating as to whom he should give and to whom he should not give. This service, then, if accomplished in simplicity, is glorious with God. He, therefore, who thus ministers in simplicity, will live to God. Keep therefore these commandments, as I have given them to you, that your repentance and the repentance of your house may be found in simplicity, and your heart may be pure and stainless."
Third Commandment
ON AVOIDING FALSEHOOD, AND ON THE REPENTANCE OF HERMAS FOR HIS DISSIMULATION.
Again he said to me, "Love the truth, and let nothing but truth proceed from your mouth, that the spirit which God has placed in your flesh may be found truthful before all men; and the Lord, who dwelleth in you, will be glorified, because the Lord is truthful in every word, and in Him is no falsehood. They therefore who lie deny the Lord, and rob Him, not giving back to Him the deposit which they have received. For they received from Him a spirit free from falsehood. If they give him back this spirit untruthful, they pollute the commandment of the Lord, and become robbers." On hearing these words, I wept most violently. When he saw me weeping, he said to me, "Why do you weep?" And I said, "Because, sir, I know not if I can be saved." "Why?" said he. And I said, "Because, sir, I never spake a true word in my life, but have ever spoken cunningly to all, and have affirmed a lie for the truth to all; and no one ever contradicted me, but credit was given to my word. How then can I live, since I have acted thus?" And he said to me, "Your feelings are indeed right and sound, for you ought as a servant of God to have walked in truth, and not to have joined an evil conscience with the spirit of truth, nor to have caused sadness to the holy and true Spirit." s And I said to him, "Never, sir, did I listen to these words with so much attention." And he said to me, "Now you hear them, and keep them, that even the falsehoods which you formerly told in your transactions may come to be believed through the truthfulness of your present statements. For even they can become worthy of credit. If you keep these precepts, and from this time forward you speak nothing but the truth, it will be possible for you to obtain life. And whosoever shall hear this commandment, and depart from that great wickedness falsehood, shall live to God."
Fourth Commandment
ON PUTTING ONE'S WIFE AWAY FOR ADULTERY.
CHAPTER I.
"I charge you," said he, "to guard your chastity, and let no thought enter your heart of another man's wife, or of fornication, or of similar iniquities; for by doing this you commit a great sin. But if you always remember your own wife, you will never sin. For if this thought enter your heart, then you will sin; and if, in like manner, you think other wicked thoughts, you commit sin. For this thought is great sin in a servant of God. But if any one commit this wicked deed, he works death for himself. Attend, therefore, and refrain from this thought; for where purity dwells, there iniquity ought not to enter the heart of a righteous man." I said to him, "Sir, permit me to ask you a few questions." "Say on," said he. And I said to him, "Sir, if any one has a wife who trusts in the Lord, and if he detect her in adultery, does the man sin if he continue to live with her?" And he said to me, "As long as he remains ignorant of her sin, the husband commits no transgression in living with her. But if the husband know that his wife has gone astray, and if the woman does not repent, but persists in her fornication, and yet the husband continues to live with her, he also is guilty of her crime, and a sharer in her adultery." And I said to him, "What then, sir, is the husband to do, if his wife continue in her vicious practices?" And he said, "The husband should put her away, and remain by himself. But if he put his wife away and marry another, he also commits adultery." And I said to him, "What if the woman put away should repent, and wish to return to her husband: shall she not be taken back by her husband?" And he said to me, "Assuredly. If the husband do not take her back, he sins, and brings a great sin upon himself; for he ought to take back the sinner who has repented. But not frequently. For there is but one repentance to the servants of God. In case, therefore, that the divorced wife may repent, the husband ought not to marry another, when his wife has been put away. In this matter man and woman are to be treated exactly in the same way. Moreover, adultery is committed not only by those who pollute their flesh, but by those who imitate the heathen in their actions." Wherefore if any one persists in such deeds, and repents not, withdraw from him, and cease to live with him. Otherwise you are a sharer in his sin. Therefore has the injunction been laid on you, that you should remain by yourselves, both man and woman, for in such persons repentance can take place. But I do not," said he, "give opportunity for the doing of these deeds, but that he who has sinned may sin no more. But with regard to his previous transgressions, there is One who is able to provide a cure; for it is He, indeed, who has power over all."
CHAPTER II.
I asked him again, and said, "Since the Lord has vouchsafed to dwell always with me, hear with me while I utter a few words; for I understand nothing, and my heart has been hardened by my previous mode of life. Give me understanding, for I am exceedingly dull, and I understand absolutely nothing." And he answered and said unto me, "I am set over repentance, and I give understanding to all who repent. Do you not think," he said, "that it is great wisdom to repent? for repentance is great wisdom. For he who has sinned understands that he acted wickedly in the sight of the Lord, and remembers the actions he has done, and he repents, and no longer acts wickedly, but does good munificently, and humbles and torments his soul because he has sinned. You see, therefore, that repentance is great wisdom." And I said to him, "It is for this reason, sir, that I inquire carefully into all things, especially because I am a sinner; that I may know what works I should do, that I may live: for my sins are many and various." And he said to me, "You shall live if you keep my commandments, and walk in them; and whosoever shall hear and keep these commandments, shall live to God."
CHAPTER III.
And I said to him, "I should like to continue my questions." "Speak on," said he. And I said, "I heard, sir, some teachers maintain that there is no other repentance than that which takes place, when we descended into the water and received remission of our former sins." He said to me, "That was sound doctrine which you heard; for that is really the case. For he who has received remission of his sins ought not to sin any more, but to live in purity. Since, however, you inquire diligently into all things, I will point this also out to you, not as giving occasion for error to those who are to believe, or have lately believed, in the Lord. For those who have now believed, and those who are to believe, have not repentance for their sins; but they have remission of their previous sins. For to those who have been called before these days, the Lord has set repentance. For the Lord, knowing the heart, and foreknowing all things, knew the weakness of men and the manifold wiles of the devil, that he would inflict some evil on the servants of God, and would act wickedly towards them. The Lord, therefore, being merciful, has had mercy on the work of His hand, and has set repentance for them; and He has entrusted to me power over this repentance. And therefore I say to you, that if any one is tempted by the devil, and sins after that great and holy calling. in which the Lord has called His people to everlasting life, he has opportunity to repent but once. But if he should sin frequently after this, and then repent, to such a man his repentance will be of no avail; for with difficulty will he live." And I said, "Sir, I feel that life has come back to me in listening attentively to these commandments; for I know that I shall be saved, if in future I sin no more." And he said, "You will be saved, you and all who keep these commandments."
CHAPTER IV.
And again I asked him, saying, "Sir, since you have been so patient in listening to me, will you show me this also?" "Speak," said he. And I said, "If a wife or husband die, and the widower or widow marry, does he or she commit sin?" "There is no sin in marrying again," said he; "but if they remain unmarried, they gain greater honour and glory with the Lord; but if they marry, they do not sin. Guard, therefore, your chastity and purity, and you will live to God. What commandments I now give you, and what I am to give, keep from henceforth, yea, from the very day when you were entrusted to me, and I will dwell in your house. And your former sins will be forgiven, if you keep my commandments. And all shall be forgiven who keep these my commandments, and walk in this chastity."
Fifth Commandment
OF SADNESS OF HEART, AND OF PATIENCE.
CHAPTER I.
"Be patient," said he, "and of good understanding, and you will rule over every wicked work, and you will work all righteousness. For if you be patient, the Holy Spirit that dwells in you will be pure. He will not be darkened by any evil spirit, but, dwelling in a broad region, he will rejoice and be glad; and with the vessel in which he dwells he will serve God in gladness, having great peace within himself. But if any outburst of anger take place, forthwith the Holy Spirit, who is tender, is straitened, not having a pure place, and He seeks to depart. For he is choked by the vile spirit, and cannot attend on the Lord as he wishes, for anger pollutes him. For the Lord dwells in long-suffering, but the devil in anger. The two spirits, then, when dwelling in the same habitation, are at discord with each other, and are troublesome to that man in whom they dwell. For if an exceedingly small piece of wormwood be taken and put into a jar of honey, is not the honey entirely destroyed, and does not the exceedingly small piece of wormwood entirely take away the sweetness of the honey, so that it no longer affords any gratification to its owner, but has become bitter, and lost its use? But if the wormwood be not put into the honey, then the honey remains sweet, and is of use to its owner. You see, then, that patience is sweeter than honey, and useful to God, and the Lord dwells in it. But anger is bitter and useless. Now, if anger be mingled with patience, the patience is polluted, and its prayer is not then useful to God." "I should like, sir," said I, "to know the power of anger, that I may guard myself against it." And he said, "If you do not guard yourself against it, you and your house lose all hope of salvation. Guard yourself, therefore, against it. For I am with you, and all will depart from it who repent with their whole heart. For I will be with them, and I will save them all. For all are justified by the most holy angel.
CHAPTER II.
"Hear now," said he, "how wicked is the action of anger, and in what way it overthrows the servants of God by its action, and turns them from righteousness. But it does not turn away those who are full of faith, nor does it act on them, for the power of the Lord is with them. It is the thoughtless and doubting that it turns away. For as soon as it sees such men standing stedfast, it throws itself into their hearts, and for nothing at all the man or woman becomes embittered on account of occurrences in their daily life, as for instance on account of their food, or some superfluous word that has been uttered, or on account of some friend, or some gift or debt, or some such senseless affair. For all these things are foolish and empty and unprofitable to the servants of God. But patience is great, and mighty, and strong, and calm in the midst of great enlargement, joyful, rejoicing, free from care, glorifying God at all times, having no bitterness in her, and abiding continually meek and quiet. Now this patience dwells with those who have complete faith. But anger is foolish, and fickle, and senseless. Now, of folly is begotten bitterness, and of bitterness anger, and of anger frenzy. This frenzy, the product of so many evils, ends in great and incurable sin. For when all these spirits dwell in one vessel in which the Holy Spirit also dwells, the vessel cannot contain them, but overflows. The tender Spirit, then, not being accustomed to dwell with the wicked spirit, nor with hardness, withdraws from such a man, and seeks to dwell with meekness and peacefulness. Then, when he withdraws from the man in whom he dwelt, the man is emptied of the righteous Spirit; and being henceforward filled with evil spirits, he is in a state of anarchy in every action, being dragged hither and thither by the evil spirits, and there is a complete darkness in his mind as to everything good. This, then, is what happens to all the angry. Wherefore do you depart from that most wicked spirit anger, and put on patience, and resist anger and bitterness, and you will be found in company with the purity which is loved by the Lord. Take care, then, that you neglect not by any chance this commandment: for if you obey this commandment, you will be able to keep all the other commandments which I am to give you. Be strong, then, in these commandments, and put on power, and let all put on power, as many as wish to walk in them."
Sixth Commandment
HOW TO RECOGNISE THE TWO SPIRITS ATTENDANT ON EACH MAN, AND HOW TO DISTINGUISH THE SUGGESTIONS OF THE ONE FROM THOSE OF THE OTHER.
CHAPTER I.
"I gave you," he said, "directions in the first commandment to attend to faith, and fear, and self-restraint." "Even so, sir," said I. And he said, "Now I wish to show you the powers of these, that you may know what power each possesses. For their powers are double, and have relation alike to the righteous and the unrighteous. Trust you, therefore, the righteous, but put no trust in the unrighteous. For the path of righteousness is straight, but that of unrighteousness is crooked. But walk in the straight and even way, and mind not the crooked. For the crooked path has no roads, but has many pathless places and stumbling-blocks in it, and it is rough and thorny. It is injurious to those who walk therein. But they who walk in the straight road walk evenly without stumbling, because it is neither rough nor thorny. You see, then, that it is better to walk in this road." "I wish to go by this road," said I. "You will go by it," said he; "and whoever turns to the Lord with all his heart will walk in it."
CHAPTER II.
"Hear now," said he, "in regard to faith. There are two angels with a man--one of righteousness, and the other of iniquity." And I said to him, "How, sir, am I to know the powers of these, for both angels dwell with me?" "Hear," said he, and "understand them. The angel of righteousness is gentle and modest, meek and peaceful. When, therefore, he ascends into your heart, forthwith he talks to you of righteousness, purity, chastity, contentment, and of every righteous deed and glorious virtue. When all these ascend into your heart, know that the angel of righteousness is with you. These are the deeds of the angel of righteousness. Trust him, then, and his works. Look now at the works of the angel of iniquity. First, he is wrathful, and bitter, and foolish, and his works are evil, and ruin the servants of God. When, then, he ascends into your heart, know him by his works." And I said to him, "How, sir, I shall perceive him, I donor know." "Hear and understand" said he. "When anger comes upon you, or harshness, know that he is in you; and you will know this to be the case also, when you are attacked by a longing after many transactions, and the richest delicacies, and drunken revels, and divers luxuries, and things improper, and by a hankering after women, and by overreaching, and pride, and blustering, and by whatever is like to these. When these ascend into your heart, know that the angel of iniquity is in you. Now that you know his works, depart from him, and in no respect trust him, because his deeds are evil, and unprofitable to the servants of God. These, then, are the actions of both angels. Understand them, and trust the angel of righteousness; but depart from the angel of iniquity, because his instruction is bad in every deed. For though a man be most faithful, and the thought of this angel ascend into his heart, that man or woman must sin. On the other hand, be a man or woman ever so bad, yet, if the works of the angel of righteousness ascend into his or her heart, he or she must do something good. You see, therefore, that it is good to follow the angel of righteousness, but to bid farewell to the angel of iniquity.
"This commandment exhibits the deeds of faith, that you may trust the works of the angel of righteousness, and doing them you may live to God. But believe the works of the angel of iniquity are hard. If you refuse to do them, you will live to God."
Seventh Commandment
ON FEARING GOD, AND NOT FEARING THE DEVIL.
"Fear," said he, "the Lord, and keep His commandments. For if you keep the commandments of God, you will be powerful in every action, and every one of your actions will be incomparable. For, fearing the Lord, you will do all things well. This is the fear which you ought to have, that you may be saved. But fear not the devil; for, fearing the Lord, you will have dominion over the devil, for there is no power in him. But he in whom there is no power ought on no account to be an object of fear; but He in whom there is glorious power is truly to be feared. For every one that has power ought to be feared; but he who has not power is despised by all. Fear, therefore, the deeds of the devil, since they are wicked. For, fearing the Lord, you will not do these deeds, but will refrain from them. For fears are of two kinds: for if you do not wish to do that which is evil, fear the Lord, and you will not do it; but, again, if you wish to do that which is good, fear the Lord, and you will do it. Wherefore the fear of the Lord is strong, and great, and glorious. Fear, then, the Lord, and you will live to Him, and as many as fear Him and keep His commandments will live to God." "Why," said I, "sir, did you say in regard to those that keep His commandments, that they will live to God?" "Because," says he, "all creation fears the Lord, but all creation does not keep His commandments. They only who fear the Lord and keep His commandments have life with God; but as to those who keep not His commandments, there is no life in them."
Eighth Commandment
WE OUGHT TO SHUN THAT WHICH IS EVIL, AND DO THAT WHICH IS GOOD.
"I told you," said he, "that the creatures of God are double, for restraint also is double; for in some cases restraint has to be exercised in others there is no need of restraint." "Make known to me, sir," say I, "in what cases restraint has to be exercised, and in what cases it has not." "Restrain yourself in regard to evil, and do it not; but exercise no restraint in regard to good, but do it. For if you exercise restraint in the doing of good, you will commit a great sin; but if you exercise restraint, so as not to do that which is evil, you are practising great righteousness. Restrain yourself, therefore, from all iniquity, and do that which is good." "What, sir," say I, "are the evil deeds from which we must restrain ourselves?" "Hear," says he: "from adultery and fornication, from unlawful revelling, from wicked luxury, from indulgence in many kinds of food and the extravagance of riches, and from boastfulness, and haughtiness, and insolence, and lies, and backbiting, and hypocrisy, from the remembrance of wrong, and from all slander. These are the deeds that are most wicked in the life of men. From all these deeds, therefore, the servant of God must restrain himself. For he who does not restrain himself from these, cannot live to God. Listen, then, to the deeds that accompany these." "Are there, sir," said I, "any other evil deeds?"
"There are," says he; "and many of them, too, from which the servant of God must restrain himself--theft, lying, robbery, false witness, overreaching, wicked lust, deceit, vainglory, boastfulness, and all other vices like to these." "Do you not think that these are really wicked?""Exceedingly wicked in the servants of God. From all of these the servant of God must restrain himself. Restrain yourself, then, from all these, that you may live to God, and you will be enrolled amongst those who restrain themselves in regard to these matters. These, then, are the things from which you must restrain yourself.
"But listen," says he, "to the things in regard to which you have not to exercise self-restraint, but which you ought to do. Restrain not yourself in regard to that which is good, but do it." "And tell me, sir," say I, "the nature of the good deeds, that I may walk in them and wait on them, so that doing them I can be saved." "Listen," says he, "to the good deeds which you ought to do, and in regard to which there is no self-restraint requisite.
First of all there is faith, then fear of the Lord, love, concord, words of righteousness, truth, patience. Than these, nothing is better in the life of men. If any one attend to these, and restrain himself not from them, blessed is he in his life. Then there are the following attendant on these: helping widows, looking after orphans and the needy, rescuing the servants of God from necessities, the being hospitable--for in hospitality good-doing finds a field--never opposing any one, the being quiet, having fewer needs than all men, reverencing the aged, practising righteousness, watching the brotherhood, bearing insolence, being long-suffering, encouraging those who are sick in soul, not casting those who have fallen into sin from the faith, but turning them back and restoring them to peace of mind, admonishing sinners, not oppressing debtors and the needy, and if there are any other actions like these. Do these seem to you good?" says he. "For what, sir," say I, "is better than these?" "Walk then in them," says he, "and restrain not yourself from them, and you will live to God. Keep, therefore, this commandment. If you do good, and restrain not yourself from it, you will live to God. All who act thus will live to God. And, again, if you refuse to do evil, and restrain yourself from it, you will live to God. And all will live to God who keep these commandments, and walk in them."
Ninth Commandment
PRAYER MUST BE MADE TO GOD WITHOUT CEASING AND WITH UNWAVERING CONFIDENCE.
He says to me, "Put away doubting from you and do not hesitate to ask of the Lord, saying to yourself, 'How can I ask of the Lord and receive from Him, seeing I have sinned so much against Him?' Do not thus reason with yourself, but with all your heart turn to the Lord and ask of Him without doubting, and you will know the multitude of His tender mercies; that He will never leave you, but fulfil the request of your soul. For He is not like men, who remember evils done against them; but He Himself remembers not evils, and has compassion on His own creature, Cleanse, therefore, your heart from all the vanities of this world, and from the words already mentioned, and ask of the Lord and you will receive all, and in none of your requests will you be denied which you make to the Lord without doubting. But if you doubt in your heart, you will receive none of your requests. For those who doubt regarding God are double-souled, and obtain not one of their requests. But those who are perfect in faith ask everything, trusting in the Lord; and they obtain, because they ask nothing doubting, and not being double-souled. For every double-souled man, even if he repent, will with difficulty be saved. Cleanse your heart, therefore, from all doubt, and put on faith, because it is strong, and trust God that you will obtain from Him all that you ask. And if at any time, after you have asked of the Lord, you are slower in obtaining your request [than you expected], do not doubt because you have not soon obtained the request of your soul; for invariably it is on account of some temptation or some sin of which you are ignorant that you are slower in obtaining your request. Wherefore do not cease to make the request of your soul, and you will obtain it. But if you grow weary and waver in your request, blame yourself, and not Him who does not give to you. Consider this doubting state of mind, for it is wicked and senseless, and turns many away entirely from the faith, even though they be very strong. For this doubting is the daughter of the devil, and acts exceedingly wickedly to the servants of God. Despise, then, doubting, and gain the mastery over it in everything; clothing yourself with faith, which is strong and powerful. For faith promises all things, perfects all things; but doubt having no thorough faith in itself, fails in every work which it undertakes. You see, then," says he, "that, faith is from above--from the Lord --and has great power; but doubt is an earthly spirit, coming from the devil, and has no power. Serve, then, that which has power, namely faith, and keep away from doubt, which has no power, and you will live to God. And all will live to God whose minds have been set on these things." Second Book: Commandments
Tenth Commandment
OF GRIEF, AND NOT GRIEVING THE SPIRIT OF GOD WHICH IS IN US.
CHAPTER I.
"Remove from you," says he, "grief; for she is the sister of doubt and anger." "How, sir," say I, "is she the sister of these? for anger, doubt, and grief seem to be quite different from each other." "You are senseless, O man.
Do you not perceive that grief is more wicked than all the spirits, and most terrible to the servants of God, and more than all other spirits destroys man and crushes out the Holy Spirit, and yet, on the other hand, she saves him?"
"I am senseless, sir," say I, "and do not understand these parables. For how she can crush out, and on the other hand save, I do not perceive." "Listen,"
says he. "Those who have never searched for the truth, nor investigated the nature of the Divinity, but have simply believed, when they devote themselves to and become mixed up with business, and wealth, and heathen friendships, and many other actions of this world, do not perceive the parables of Divinity; for their minds are darkened by these actions, and they are corrupted and become dried up. Even as beautiful vines, when they are neglected, are withered up by thorns and divers plants, so men who have believed, and have afterwards fallen away into many of those actions above mentioned, go astray in their minds, and lose all understanding in regard to righteousness; for if they hear of righteousness, their minds are occupied with their business,
and they give no heed at all. Those, on the other hand, who have the fear of God, and search after Godhead and truth, and have their hearts turned to the Lord, quickly perceive and understand what is said to them, because they have the fear of the Lord in them. For where the Lord dwells, there is much understanding. Cleave, then, to the Lord, and you will understand and perceive all things.
CHAPTER II.
"Hear, then," says he, "foolish man, how grief crushes out the Holy Spirit, and on the 27
other hand saves. When the doubting man attempts any deed, and fails in it on account of his doubt, this grief enters into the man, and grieves the Holy Spirit, and crushes him out. Then, on the other hand, when anger attaches itself to a man in regard to any matter, and he is embittered, then grief enters into the heart of the man who was irritated, and he is grieved at the deed which he did, and repents that he has wrought a wicked deed. This grief, then, appears to be accompanied by salvation, because the man, after having done a wicked deed, repented. Both actions grieve the Spirit: doubt, because it did not accomplish its object; and anger grieves the Spirit, because it did what was wicked. Both these are grievous to the Holy Spirit--doubt and anger. Wherefore remove grief from you, and crush not the Holy Spirit which dwells in you, lest he entreat God against you, and he withdraw from you. For the Spirit of God which has been granted to us to dwell in this body does not endure grief nor straitness. Wherefore put on cheerfulness, which always is agreeable and acceptable to God, and rejoice in it. For every cheerful man does what is good, and minds what is good, and despises grief; but the sorrowful man always acts wickedly. First, he acts wickedly because he grieves the Holy Spirit, which was given to man a cheerful Spirit. Secondly, Grieving the Holy Spirit, he works iniquity, neither entreating the Lord nor confessing to Him. For the entreaty of the sorrowful man has no power to ascend to the altar of God." "Why," say I, "does not the entreaty of the grieved man ascend to the altar?" "Because," says he, "grief sits in his heart. Grief, then, mingled with his entreaty, does not permit the entreaty to ascend pure to the altar of God. For as vinegar and wine, when mixed in the same vessel, do not give the same pleasure [as wine alone gives], so grief mixed. with the Holy Spirit does not produce the same entreaty [as would be produced by the Holy Spirit alone]. Cleanse yourself from this wicked grief, and you will live to God; and all will live to God who drive away grief from them, and put on all cheerfulness."
Eleventh Commandment
THE SPIRIT AND PROPHETS TO BE TRIED BY THEIR WORKS; ALSO OF THE TWO KINDS OF SPIRIT.
He pointed out to me some men sitting on a seat, and one man sitting on a chair. And he says to me, "Do you see the persons sitting on the seat?" "I do, sir," said I. "These," says he, "are the faithful, and he who sits on the chair is a false prophet, ruining the minds of the servants of God. It is the doubters, not the faithful, that he ruins. These doubters then go to him as to a soothsayer, and inquire of him what will happen to them; and he, the false prophet, not having the power of a Divine Spirit in him, answers them according to their inquiries, and according to their wicked desires, and fills their souls with expectations, according to their own wishes. For being himself empty, he gives empty answers to empty inquirers; for every answer is made to the emptiness of man. Some true words he does occasionally utter; for the devil fills him with his own spirit, in the hope that he may be able to overcome some of the righteous. As many, then, as are strong in the faith of the Lord, and are clothed with truth, have no connection with such spirits, but keep away from them; but as many as are of doubtful minds and frequently repent, betake themselves to soothsaying, even as the heathen, and bring greater sin upon themselves by their idolatry. For he who inquires of a false prophet in regard to any action is an idolater, and devoid of the truth, and foolish. For no spirit given by God requires to be asked; but such a spirit having the power of Divinity speaks all things of itself, for it proceeds from above from the power of the Divine Spirit. But the spirit which is asked and speaks according to the desires of men is earthly, light, and powerless, and it is altogether silent if it is not questioned." "How then, sir," say I, "will a man know which of them is the prophet, and which the false prophet?" "I will tell you," says he, "about both the prophets, and then you can try the true and the false prophet according to my directions. Try the man who has the Divine Spirit by his life. First, he who has the Divine Spirit proceeding from above is meek, and peaceable, and humble, and refrains from, all iniquity and the vain desire of this world, and contents himself with fewer wants than those of other men, and when asked he makes no reply; nor does he speak privately, nor when man wishes the spirit to speak does the Holy Spirit speak, but it speaks only when God wishes it to speak. When, then, a man having the Divine Spirit comes into an assembly of righteous men who have faith in the Divine Spirit, and this assembly of men offers up prayer to God, then the angel of the prophetic Spirit, who is destined for him, fills the man; and the man being filled with the Holy Spirit, speaks to the multitude as the Lord wishes. Thus, then, will the Spirit of Divinity become manifest. Whatever power therefore comes from the Spirit of Divinity belongs to the Lord. Hear, then," says he, "in regard to the spirit which is earthly, and empty, and powerless, and foolish. First, the man who seems to have the Spirit exalts himself, and wishes to have the first seat, and is bold, and impudent, and talkative, and lives in the midst of many luxuries and many other delusions, and takes rewards for his prophecy; and if he does not receive rewards, he does not prophesy. Can, then, the Divine Spirit take rewards and prophesy? It is not possible that the prophet of God should do this, but prophets of this character are possessed by an earthly spirit. Then it never approaches an assembly of righteous men, but shuns them. And it associates with doubters and the vain, and prophesies to them in a comer, and deceives them, speaking to them, according to their desires, mere empty words: for they are empty to whom it gives its answers. For the empty vessel, when placed along with the empty, is not Crashed, but they correspond to each other. When, therefore, it comes into an assembly of righteous men who have a Spirit of Divinity, and they offer up prayer, that man is made empty, and the earthly spirit tees from him through fear, and that man is made dumb, and is entirely crashed, being unable to speak. For if you pack closely a storehouse with wine or oil, and put an empty jar in the midst of the vessels of wine or oil, you will find that jar empty as when you placed it, if you should wish to clear the storehouse. So also the empty prophets, when they come to the spirits of the righteous, are found [on leaving] to be such as they were when they came. This, then, is the mode of life of both prophets. Try by his deeds and his life the man who says that he is inspired. But as for you, trust the Spirit which comes from God, and has power; but the spirit which is earthly and empty trust not at all, for there is no power in it: it comes from the devil. Hear, then, the parable which I am to tell you. Take a stone, and throw it to the sky, and see if you can touch it. Or again, take a squirt of water and squirt into the sky, and see if you can penetrate the sky." "How, sir," say I, "can these things take place? for both of them are impossible." "As these things," says he, "are impossible, so also are the earthly spirits powerless and pithless. But look, on the other hand, at the power which comes from above. Hail is of the size of a very small grain, yet when it falls on a man's head how much annoyance it gives him! Or, again, take the drop which falls from a pitcher to the ground, and yet it hollows a stone. You see, then, that the smallest things coming from above have great power when they fall upon the earth. Thus also is the Divine Spirit, which comes from above, powerful. Trust, then, that Spirit, but have nothing to do with the other."
Twelfth Commandment
ON THE TWOFOLD DESIRE. THE COMMANDMENTS OF GOD CAN BE KEPT, AND BELIEVERS OUGHT NOT TO FEAR THE DEVIL.
CHAPTER I.
He says to me, "Put away from you all wicked desire, and clothe yourself with good and chaste desire; for clothed with this desire you will hate wicked desire, and will rein yourself in even as you wish. For wicked desire is wild, and is with difficulty tamed. For it is terrible, and consumes men exceedingly by its wildness. Especially is the servant of God terribly consumed by it, if he falls into it and is devoid of understanding. Moreover, it consumes all such as have not on them the garment of good desire, but are entangled and mixed up with this world. These it delivers up to death." "What then, sir," say I, "are the deeds of wicked desire which deliver men over to death? Make them known to me, and I will refrain from them." "Listen, then, to the works in which evil desire slays the servants of God."
CHAPTER II.
"Foremost of all is the desire after another's wife or husband, and after extravagance, and many useless dainties and drinks, and many other foolish luxuries; for all luxury is foolish and empty in the servants of God. These, then, are the evil desires which slay the servants of God. For this evil desire is the daughter of the devil. You must refrain from evil desires, that by refraining ye may live to God. But as many as are mastered by them, and do not resist them, will perish at last, for these desires are fatal. Put you on, then, the desire of righteousness; and arming yourself with the fear of the Lord, 29
resist them. For the fear of the Lord dwells in good desire. But if evil desire see you armed with the fear of God, and resisting it, it will flee far from you, and it will no longer appear to you, for it fears your armour. Go, then, garlanded with the crown which you have gained for victory over it, to the desire of righteousness, and, delivering up to it the prize which you have received, serve it even as it wishes. If you serve good desire, and be subject to it, you will gain the mastery over evil desire, and make it subject to you even as you wish."
CHAPTER III.
"I should like to how," say I, "in what way I ought to serve good desire." "Hear," says he: "You will practise righteousness and virtue, truth and the fear of the Lord, faith and meekness, and whatsoever excellences are like to these. Practising these, you will be a well-pleasing servant of God, and you will live to Him; and every one who shall serve good desire, shall live to God."
He concluded the twelve commandments, and said to me, "You have now these commandments. Walk in them, and exhort your hearers that their repentance may be pure during the remainder of their life. Fulfil carefully this ministry which I now entrust to you, and you will accomplish much. For you will find favour among those who are to repent, and they will give heed to your words; for I will be with you, and will compel them to obey you." I say to him, "Sir, these commandments are great, and good, and glorious, and fitted to gladden the heart of the man who can perform them. But I do not know if these commandments can be kept by man, because they are exceeding hard." He answered and said to me, "If you lay it down as certain that they can be kept, then you will easily keep them, and they will not be hard. But if you come to imagine that they cannot be kept by man, then you will not keep them. Now I
say to you, If you do not keep them, but neglect them, you will not be saved, nor your children, nor your house, since you have already determined for yourself that these commandments cannot be kept by man."
CHAPTER IV.
These things he said to me in tones of the deepest anger, so that I was confounded and exceedingly afraid of him, for his figure was altered so that a man could not endure his anger. But seeing me altogether agitated and confused, he began to speak to me in more gentle tones; and he said: "O feel, senseless and doubting, do you not perceive how great is the glory of God, and how strong and marvellous, in that He created the world for the sake of man, and subjected all creation to him, and gave him power to rule over everything under heaven? If, then, man is lord of the creatures of God, and rules over all, is he not able to be lord also of these commandments? For," says he, "the man who has the Lord in his heart can also be lord of all, and of every one of these commandments. But to those who have the Lord only on their lips, but their hearts hardened, and who are far from the Lord, the commandments are hard and difficult. Put, therefore, ye who are empty and fickle in yoUr faith, the Lord in your heart, and ye will know that there is nothing easier or sweeter, or more manageable, than these commandments. Return, ye who walk in the commandments of the devil, in hard, and bitter, and wild licentiousness, and fear not the devil; for there is no power in him against you, for I will be with you, the angel of repentance, who am lord over him. The devil has fear only, but his fear has no strength. Fear him not, then, and he will flee from you."
CHAPTER V.
I say to him, "Sir, listen to me for a moment." "Say what you wish," says he. "Man, sir," say I, "is eager to keep the commandments of God, and there is no one who does not ask of the Lord that strength may be given him for these commandments, and that he may be subject to them; but the devil is hard, and holds sway over them." "He cannot," says he, "hold sway over the servants of God, who with all their heart place their hopes in Him. The devil can wrestle against these, overthrow them he cannot. If, then, ye resist him, he will be conquered, and flee in disgrace from you. As many, therefore," says he, "as are empty, fear the devil, as possessing power. When a man has filled very suitable jars with good wine, and a few among those jars are left empty, then he comes to the jars, and does not look at the full jars, for he knows that they are full; but he looks at the empty, being afraid lest they have become sour. For empty jars quickly become sour, and the goodness of the wine is gone. So also the devil goes to all 30
the servants of God to try them. As many, then, as are full in the faith, resist him strongly, and he withdraws from them, having no way by which he might enter them. He goes, then, to the empty, and finding a way of entrance, into them, he produces in them whatever he wishes, and they become his servants.
CHAPTER VI.
"But I, the angel of repentance, say to you Fear not the devil; for I was sent," says he, "to be with you who repent with all your heart, and to make you strong in faith. Trust God, then, ye who on account of your sins have despaired of life, and who add to your sins and weigh down your life; for if ye return to the Lord with all your heart, and practise righteousness the rest of your days, and serve Him according to His will, He will heal your former sins, and you will have power to hold sway over the works of the devil. But as to the threats of the devil, fear them not at all, for he is powerless as the sinews of a dead man. Give ear to me, then, and fear Him who has all power, both to save and destroy, and keep His commandments, and ye will live to God." I say to him, "Sir, I am now made strong in all the ordinances of the Lord, because you are with me; and I know that you will crush all the power of the devil, and we shall have rule over him, and shall prevail against all his works. And I hope, sir, to be able to keep all these commandments s which you have enjoined upon me, the Lord strengthening me." "You will keep them," says he, "if your heart be pure towards the Lord; and all will keep them who cleanse their hearts from the vain desires of this world, and they will live to God."
Third Book: Similitudes
First Similitude
AS IN THIS WORLD WE HAVE NO ABIDING CITY, WE OUGHT TO SEEK ONE TO COME.
HE says to me, "You know that you who are the servants of God dwell in a strange land; for your city is far away from this one. If, then," he continues, "you know your city in which you are to dwell, why do ye here provide lands, and make expensive preparations, and accumulate dwellings and useless buildings? He who makes such preparations for this city cannot return again to his own. Oh foolish, and unstable, and miserable man! Dost thou not understand that all these things belong to another, and are under the power of another? for the lord of this city will say, 'I do not wish thee to dwell in my city; but depart from this city, because thou obeyest not my laws.' Thou, therefore, although having fields and houses, and many other things, when cast out by him, what wilt thou do with thy land, and house, and other possessions which thou hast gathered to thyself? For the lord of this country justly says to thee, 'Either obey my laws or depart from my dominion.' What, then, dost thou intend to do, having a law in thine own city, on account of thy lands, and the rest of thy possessions? Thou shalt altogether deny thy law, and walk according to the law of this city. See lest it be to thy hurt to deny thy law; for if thou shalt desire to return to thy city, thou wilt not be received, because thou hast denied the law of thy city, but wilt be excluded from it. Have a care, therefore: as one living in a foreign land, make no further preparations for thyself than such merely as may be sufficient; and be ready, when the master of this city shall come to cast thee out for disobeying his law, to leave his city, and to depart to thine own, and to obey thine own law without being exposed to annoyance, but in great joy. Have a care, then, ye who serve the Lord, and have Him in your heart, that ye work the works of God, remembering His commandments and promises which He promised, and believe that He will bring them to pass if His commandments be observed. Instead of lands, therefore, buy afflicted souls, according as each one is able, and visit s widows and orphans, and do not overlook them; and spend your wealth and all your preparations, which ye received from the Lord, upon such lands and houses. For to this end did the Master make you rich, that you might perform these services unto Him; and it is much better to purchase such lands, and possessions, and houses, as you will find in your own city, when you come to reside in it. This is a noble and sacred expenditure, attended neither with sorrow nor fear, but with joy. Do not practise the expenditure of the heathen, for it is injurious to you who are the servants of God; but practise an expenditure of your own, in which ye can rejoice; and do not corrupt nor touch what is another's nor covet it, for it is an evil thing to covet the goods of other men; but work thine own work, and thou wilt be saved."
Second Similitude
AS THE VINE IS SUPPORTED BY THE ELM, SO IS THE RICH MAN HELPER BY THE PRAYER OF THE POOR.
AS I was walking in the field, and observing an elm and vine, and determining in my own, mind respecting them and their fruits, the Shepherd appears to me, and says, "What is it that you are thinking about the elm and vine?" "I am considering," I reply, "that they become each other exceedingly well." "These two trees," he continues, "are intended as an example for the servants of God." "I would like to know," said I, "the example which these trees you say, are intended to teach." "Do you see," he says, "the elm and the vine?" "I see them sir," I replied. "This vine," he continued, "produces fruit, and the elm is an unfruitful tree; but unless the vine be trained upon the elm, it cannot bear much fruit when extended at length upon the ground; and the fruit which it does bear is rotten, because the plant is not suspended upon the elm. When, therefore, the vine is cast upon the elm, it yields fruit both, from itself and from the elm. You see, moreover, that the elm also produces much fruit, not less than the vine, but even more; because," he continued, "the vine, when suspended upon the elm, yields much fruit, and good; but when thrown upon the ground, what it produces is small and rotten. This similitude, therefore, is for the servants of God--for the poor man and for the rich." "How so, sir?" said I; "explain the matter to me." "Listen," he said: "The rich man has much wealth, but is poor in matters relating to the Lord, because he is distracted about his riches; and he offers very few confessions and intercessions to the Lord, and those which he does offer are small and weak, and have no power above. But when the rich man refreshes the poor, and assists him in his necessities, believing that what he does to the poor man will be able to find its reward with God--because the poor man is rich in intercession and confession, and his intercession has great power with God--then the rich man helps the poor in all things without hesitation; and the poor man, being helped by the rich, intercedes for him, giving thanks to God for him who bestows gifts upon him. And he still continues to interest himself zealously for the poor man, that his wants may be constantly supplied. For he knows that the intercession of the poor man is acceptable and influential with God. Both, accordingly, accomplish their work. The poor man makes intercession; a work in which he is rich, which he received from the Lord, and with which he recompenses the master who helps him. And the rich man, in like manner, unhesitatingly bestows upon the poor man the riches which he received from the Lord. And this is a great work, and acceptable before God, because he understands the object of his wealth, and has given to the poor of the gifts of the Lord, and rightly discharged his service to Him. Among men, however, the elm appears not to produce fruit, and they do not know nor understand that if a drought come, the elm, which contains water, nourishes the vine l and the vine, having an unfailing supply of water, yields double fruit both for itself and for the elm. So also poor men interceding with the Lord on behalf of the rich, increase their riches; and the rich, again, aiding the poor in their necessities, satisfy their souls. Both, therefore, are partners in the righteous work. He who does these things shall not be deserted by God, but shall be enrolled in the books of the living. Blessed are they who have riches, and who understand that they are from the Lord. [For they who are of that mind will be able to do some good.]"
Third Similitude
AS IN WINTER GREEN TREES CANNOT BE DISTINGUISHED FROM WITHERED, SO IN THIS WORLD NEITHER CAN THE JUST FROM THE UNJUST.
He showed me many trees having no leaves, but withered, as it seemed to me; for all were alike. And he said to me, "Do you see those trees?" "I see, sir," I replied, "that all are alike, and withered." He answered me, and said, "These trees which you see are those who dwell in this world." "Why, then, sir," I said, "are they withered, as it were, and alike?" "Because," he said, "neither are the righteous manifest in this life, nor sinners, but they are alike; for this life is a winter to the righteous, and they do not manifest themselves, because they dwell with sinners: for as in winter trees that have cast their leaves are alike, and it is not seen which are dead and which are living, so in this world neither do the righteous show themselves, nor sinners, but all are alike one to another."
Fourth Similitude
AS IN SUMMER LIVING TREES ARE DISTINGUISHED FROM WITHERED BY FRUIT AND LIVING LEAVES, SO IN THE WORLD TO COME THE JUST DIFFER FROM THE UNJUST IN HAPPINESS.
He showed me again many trees, some budding, and others withered. And he said to me, "Do you see these trees?" "I see, sir," I replied, "some putting forth buds, and others withered." "Those," he said, "which are budding are the righteous who are to live in the world to come; for the coming world is the summer of the righteous, but the winter of sinners. When, therefore, the mercy of the Lord shines forth, then shall they be made manifest who are the servants of God, and all men shall be made manifest. For as in summer the fruits of each individual tree appear, and it is ascertained of what sort they are, so also the fruits of the righteous shall be manifest, and all who have been fruitful in that world shall be made known. But the heathen and sinners, like the withered trees which you saw, will be found to be those who have been withered and unfruitful in that world, and shall be burnt as wood, and made manifest, because their actions were evil during their lives. For the sinners shall be consumed because they sinned and did not repent, and the heathen shall be burned because they knew not Him who created them. Do you therefore bear fruit, that in that summer your fruit may be known. And refrain from much business, and you will never sin: for they who are occupied with much business commit also many sins, being distracted about their affairs, and not at all serving their Lord. How, then," he continued, "can such a one ask and obtain anything from the Lord, if he serve Him not? They who serve Him shall obtain their requests, but they who serve Him not shall receive nothing. And in the performance even of a single action a man can serve the Lord; for his mind will not be perverted from the Lord, but he will serve Him, having a pure mind. If, therefore, you do these things, you shall be able to bear fruit for the life to come. And every one who will do these things shall bear fruit."
Fifth Similitude
OF TRUE FASTING AND ITS REWARD: ALSO OF PURITY OF BODY.
CHAPTER I.
While fasting and sitting on a certain mountain, and giving thanks to the Lord for all His dealings with me, I see the Shepherd sitting down beside me, and saying, "Why have you come hither early in the morning?" "Because, sir," I answered, "I have a station." "What is a station?" he asked. "I am fasting, sir," I replied. "What is this fasting," he continued, "which you are observing?" "As I have been accustomed, sir," I reply, "so I fast." "You do not know," he says, "how to fast unto the Lord: this useless fasting which you observe to HIm is of no value." "Why, sir," I answered, "do you say this?" "I say to you," he continued, "that the fasting which you think you observe is not a fasting. But I will teach you what is a full and acceptable fasting to the Lord. Listen," he continued: "God does not desire such an empty fasting? For fasting to God in this way you will do nothing for a righteous life; but offer to God a fasting of the following kind: Do no evil in your life, and serve the Lord with a pure heart: keep His commandments, walking in His precepts, and let no evil desire arise in your heart; and believe in God. If you do these things, and fear Him, and abstain from every evil thing, you will live unto God; and if you do these things, you will keep a great fast, and one acceptable before God.
CHAPTER II.
"Hear the similitude which I am about to narrate to you relative to fasting. A certain man had a field and many slaves, and he planted a certain part of the field with a vineyard, and selecting a faithful and beloved and much valued slave, he called him to him, and said, 'Take this vineyard which I have planted, and stake it until I come, and do nothing else to the vineyard; and attend to this order of mine, and you shall receive your freedom from me.' And the master of the slave departed to a foreign country. And when he was gone, the slave took and staked the vineyard; and when he had finished the staking of the vines, he saw that the vineyard was full of weeds. He then reflected, saying, 'I have kept this order of my master: I will dig up the rest of this vineyard, and it will be more beautiful when dug up; and being free of weeds, it will yield more fruit, not being choked by them.' He took, therefore, and dug up the vineyard, and rooted out all the weeds that were in it. And that vineyard became very beautiful and fruitful, Having no weeds to choke it. And after a certain time the master of the slave and of the field returned, and entered into the vineyard. And seeing that the vines were suitably supported on stakes, and the ground, moreover, dug up, and all the weeds rooted out, and the vines fruitful, he was greatly pleased with the work of his slave. And calling his beloved son who was his heir, and his friends who were his councillors, he told them what orders he had given his slave, and what he had found performed. And they rejoiced along with the slave at the testimony which his master bore to him. And he said to them, 'I promised this slave freedom if he obeyed the command which I gave him; and he has kept my command, and done besides a good work to the vineyard, and has pleased me exceedingly. In return, therefore, for the work which he has done, I wish to make him co-heir with my son, because, having good thoughts, he did not neglect them, but carried them out.' With this resolution of the master his son and friends were well pleased, viz., that the slave should be co-heir with the son. After a few days the master made a feast, and sent to his slave many dishes from his table. And the slave receiving the dishes that were sent him from his master, took of them what was sufficient for himself, and distributed the rest among his fellow-slaves. And his fellow-slaves rejoiced to receive the dishes, and began to pray for him, that he might find still greater favour with his master for having so treated them. His master heard all these things that were done, and was again greatly pleased with his conduct. And the master again calling; together his friends and his son, reported to them the slave's proceeding with regard to the dishes which he had sent him. And they were still more satisfied that the slave should become co-heir with his son."
CHAPTER III.
I said to him, "Sir, I do not see the meaning of these similitudes, nor am I able to comprehend them, unless you explain them to me." "I will explain them all to you," he said, "and whatever I shall mention in the course of our conversations I will show you. [Keep the commandments of the Lord, and you will be approved, and inscribed amongst the number of those who observe His commands.] And if you do any good beyond what is commanded by God, you will gain for yourself more abundant glory, and will be more honoured by God than you would otherwise be. If, therefore, in keeping the commandments of God, you do, in addition, these services, you will have joy if you observe them according to my command." I said to him, "Sir, whatsoever you enjoin upon me I will observe, for I know that you are with me." "I will be with you," he replied, "because you have such a desire for doing good; and I will be with all those," he added, "who have such a desire. This fasting," he continued, "is very good, provided the commandments of the Lord be observed. Thus, then, shall you observe the fasting which you intend to keep. First of all, be on your guard against every evil word, and every evil desire, and purify your heart from all the vanities of this world. If you guard against these things, your fasting will be perfect. And you will do also as follows. Having fulfilled what is written, in the day on which you fast you will taste nothing but bread and water; and having reckoned up the price of the dishes of that day which you intended to have eaten, you will give it to a widow, or an orphan, or to some person in want, and thus you will exhibit humility of mind, so that he who has received benefit from your humility may fill his own soul, and pray for you to the Lord. If you observe fasting, as I have commanded you, your sacrifice will be acceptable to God, and this fasting will be written down; and the service thus performed is noble, and sacred, and acceptable to the Lord. These things, therefore, shall you thus observe with your children, and all your house, and in observing them you will be blessed; and as many as hear these words and observe them shall be blessed; and whatsoever they ask of the Lord they shall receive."
CHAPTER IV.
I prayed him much that he would explain to me the similitude of the field, and of the master of the vineyard, and of the slave who staked the vineyard, and of the sakes, and of the weeds that were plucked out of the vineyard, and of the son, and of the friends who were fellow-councillors, for I knew that all these things were a kind of parable. And he answered me, and said, "You are exceedingly persistent with your questions. You ought not," he continued, "to ask any questions at all; for if it is needful to explain anything, it will be made known to you." I said to him "Sir whatsoever you show me, and do not explain, I shall have seen to no purpose, not understanding its meaning. In like manner, also, if you speak parables to me, and do not unfold them, I shall have heard your words in vain." And he answered me again, saying, "Every one who is the servant of God, and has his Lord in his heart, asks of Him understanding, and receives it, and opens up every parable; and the words of the Lord become known to him which are spoken in parables? But those who are weak and slothful in prayer, hesitate to ask anything from the Lord; but the Lord is full of compassion, and gives without fail to all who ask Him. But you, having been strengthened by the holy Angel, and having obtained from Him such intercession, and not being slothful, why do not you ask of the Lord understanding, and receive it from Him?" I said to him, "Sir, having you with me, I am necessitated to ask questions of you, for you show me all things, and converse with me; but if I were to see or hear these things without you, I would then ask the Lord to explain them."
CHAPTER V.
"I said to you a little ago," he answered, "that you were cunning and obstinate in asking explanations of the parables; but since you are so persistent, I shall unfold to you the meaning of the similitudes of the field, and of all the others that follow, that you may make them known to every one. Hear now," he said, "and understand them. The field is this world; and the Lord of the field is He who created, and perfected, and strengthened all things; [and the son is the Holy Spirit; ] and the slave is the Son of God; and the vines are this people, whom He Himself planted; and the stakes are the holy angels of the Lord, who keep His people together; and the weeds that were plucked out of the vineyard are the iniquities of God's servants; and the dishes which He sent Him from His able are the commandments which He gave His people through His Son; and the friends and fellow-councillors are the holy angels who were first created; and the Master's absence from home is the time that remains until His appearing." I said to him, "Sir, all these are great, and marvellous, and glorious things. Could I, therefore," I continued, "understand them? No, nor could any other man, even if exceedingly wise. Moreover," I added, "explain to me what I am about to ask you." "Say what you wish," he replied. "Why, sir," I asked, "is the Son of God in the parable in the form of a slave?"
CHAPTER VI.
"Hear," he answered: "the Son of God is not in the form of a slave, but in great power and might." "How so, sir?" I said; "I do not understand." "Because," he answered, "God planted the vineyard, that is to say, He created the people, and gave them to His Son; and the Son appointed His angels over them to keep them; and He Himself purged away their sins, having suffered many trials and undergone many labours, for no one is able to dig without labour and toil. He Himself, then, having purged away the sins of the people, showed them the paths of life by giving them the law which He received from His Father. [You see," he said, "that He is the Lord of the people, having received all authority from His Father. ] And why the Lord took His Son as councillor, and the glorious angels, regarding the heirship of the slave, listen. The holy, pre-existent Spirit, that created every creature, God made to dwell in flesh, which He chose. This flesh, accordingly, in which the Holy Spirit dwelt, was nobly subject to that Spirit, walking reli 36
giously and chastely, in no respect defiling the Spirit; and accordingly, after living excellently and purely, and after labouring and co-operating with the Spirit, and having in everything acted vigorously and courageously along with the Holy Spirit, He assumed it as a partner with it. For this conduct of the flesh pleased Him, because it was not defiled on the earth while having the Holy Spirit. He took, therefore, as fellow-councillors His Son and the glorious angels, in order that this flesh, which had been subject to the body without a fault, might have some place of tabernacle, and that it might not appear that the reward [of its servitude had been lost ], for the flesh that has been found without spot or defilement, in which the Holy Spirit dwelt, [will receive a reward ]. You have now the explanation of this parable also."
CHAPTER VII.
"I rejoice, sir," I said, "to hear this explanation." "Hear," again he replied: "Keep this flesh pure and stainless, that the Spirit which inhabits it may bear witness to it, and your flesh may be justified. See that the thought never arise in your mind that this flesh of yours is corruptible, and you misuse it by any act of defilement. If you defile your flesh, you will also defile the Holy Spirit; and if you defile your flesh [and spirit], you will not live." "And if any one, sir," I said, "has been hitherto ignorant, before he heard these words, how can such man be saved who has defiled his flesh?" "Respecting former sins of ignorance," he said, "God alone is able to heal them, for to Him belongs all power. [But be On your guard now, and the all-powerful and compassionate God will heal former transgressions ], if for the time to come you defile not your body nor your spirit; for both are common, and cannot be defiled, the one without the other: keep both therefore pure, and you will live unto God."
Sixth Similitude
OF THE TWO CLASSES OF VOLUPTUOUS MEN, AND OF THEIR DEATH, FALLING AWAY, AND THE DURATION OF THEIR PUNISHMENT.
CHAPTER I.
Sitting in my house, and glorifying the Lord for all that I had seen, and reflecting on the commandments, that they are excellent, and powerful, and glorious, and able to save a man's soul, I said within myself, "I shall be blessed if I walk in these commandments, and every one who walks in them will be blessed." While I was saying these words to myself, I suddenly see him sitting beside me, and hear him thus speak: "Why are you in doubt about the commandments which I gave you? They are excellent: have no doubt about them at all, but put on faith in the Lord, and you will walk in them, for I will strengthen you in them. These commandments are beneficial to those who intend to repent: for if they do not walk in them, their repentance is in vain You, therefore, who repent cast away the wickedness of this world which wears you out; and by putting on all the virtues of a holy life, you will be able to keep these commandments, and will no longer add to the number of your sins. Walk, therefore, in these commandments of mine, and you will live unto God. All these things have been spoken to you by me." And after he had uttered these words, he said to me, "Let us go into the fields, and I will show you the shepherds of the flocks." "Let us go, sir," I replied. And we came to a certain plain, and he showed me a young man, a shepherd, clothed in a suit of garments of a yellow colour: and he was herding very many sheep, and these sheep were feeding luxuriously, as it were, and riotously, and merrily skipping hither and thither. The shepherd himself was merry, because of his flock; and the appearance of the shepherd was joyous, and he was running about amongst his flock. [And other sheep I saw rioting and luxuriating in one place, but not, however, leaping about. ]
CHAPTER II
And he said to me, "Do you see this shepherd?" "I see him, sir," I said. "This," he answered, "is the angel of luxury and deceit: he wears out the souls of the servants of God, and perverts them from the truth, deceiving them with wicked desires, through which they will perish; for they forget the commandments of the living God, and walk in deceits and empty luxuries; and they are ruined by the angel, some being brought to death, others to corruption:" I said to him, "Sir, I do not know the meaning of these words, 'to death, and to corruption.'" "Listen," he said. "The sheep which you saw merry and leaping about, are those which have tom themselves away from God for ever, and have delivered themselves over to luxuries and deceits [of this world. Among them there is no return to life through repentance, because they have added to their other sins, and blasphemed the name of the Lord. Such men therefore, are appointed unto death. And the sheep which you saw not leaping, but feeding in one place, are they who have delivered themselves over to luxury and deceit], but have committed no blasphemy against the Lord. These have been perverted from the truth: among them there is the hope of repentance, by which it is possible to live. Corruption, then, has a hope of a kind of renewal, but death has everlasting ruin." Again I went forward a little way, and he showed me a tall shepherd, somewhat savage in his appearance, clothed in a white goatskin, and having a wallet on his shoulders, and a very hard staff with branches, and a large whip. And he had a very sour look, so that I was afraid of him, so forbidding was his aspect. This shepherd, accordingly, was receiving the sheep from the young shepherd, those, viz., that were rioting and luxuriating, but not leaping; and he cast them into a precipitous place, full of this ties and thorns, so that it was impossible to extricate the sheep from the thorns and thistles; but they were completely entangled amongst them. These, accordingly, thus entangled, pastured amongst the thorns and thistles, and were exceedingly miserable, being beaten by him; and he drove them hither and thither, and gave them no rest; and, altogether, these sheep were in a wretched plight.
CHAPTER III.
Seeing them, therefore, so beaten and so badly used, I was grieved for them, because they were so tormented, and had no rest at all. And I said to the Shepherd who talked with me, "Sir, who is this shepherd, who is so pitiless and severe, and so completely devoid of compassion for these sheep?"
"This," he replied, "is the angel of punishment; and he belongs to the just angels, and is appointed to punish. He accordingly takes those who wander away from God, and who have walked in the desires and deceits of this world, and chastises them as they deserve with terrible and diverse punishments." "I would know, sir," I said, "Of what nature are these diverse tortures and punishments?" "Hear," he said, "the various tortures and punishments. The tortures are such as occur during life. For some are punished with losses, others with want, others with sicknesses of various kinds, and others with all kinds of disOrder and confusion; others are insulted by unworthy persons, and exposed to suffering in many other ways: for many, becoming unstable in their plans, try many things, and none of them at all succeed, and they say they are not prosperous in their undertakings; and it does not occur to their minds that they have done evil deeds, but they blame the Lord. When, therefore, they have been afflicted with all kinds of affliction, then are they delivered unto me for good training, and they are made strong in the faith of the Lord; and for the rest of the days of their life they are subject to the Lord with pure hearts, and are successful in all their undertakings, obtaining from the Lord everything they ask; and then they glorify the Lord, that they were delivered to me, and no longer suffer any evil."
CHAPTER IV.
I said to him, "Sir, explain this also to me." "What is it you ask?" he said. "Whether, sir," I continued, "they who indulge in luxury, and who are deceived, are tortured for the same period of time that they have indulged in luxury and deceit?" He said to me, "They are tortured in the same manner." ["They are tormented much less, sir," I replied;] "for those who are so luxurious and who forget God ought to be tortured seven-fold." He said to me "You are foolish, and do not understand the power of torment." "Why, sir," I said, "if I had understood it, I would not have asked you to show me." "Hear," he said, "the power of both. The time of luxury and deceit is one hour; but the hour of torment is equivalent to thirty days. If, accordingly, a man indulge in luxury for one day, and be deceived and be tortured for one day, the day of his torture is equivalent to a whole year. For all the days of luxury, therefore, there are as many years of torture to be undergone. You see, then," he continued, "that the time of luxury and deceit is very short, but that of punishment and torture long."
CHAPTER V.
"Still," I said, "I do not quite understand about the time of deceit, and luxury, and torture; explain it to me more clearly." He answered, and said to me, "Your folly is persistent; and you do not wish to purify your heart, and serve God. Have a care," he added, "lest the time be fulfilled, and you be found foolish. Hear now," he added, "as you desire, that you may understand these things. He who indulges in luxury, and is deceived for one day, and who does what he wishes, is clothed with much foolishness, and does not understand the act which he does until the morrow; for he forgets what he did the day before. For luxury and deceit have no memories, on account of the folly with which they are clothed; but when punishment and torture cleave to a man for one day, he is punished and tortured for a year; for punishment and torture have powerful memories. While tortured and punished, therefore, for a whole year, he remembers at last a his luxury and deceit, and knows that an their account he suffers evil. Every man, therefore, who is luxurious and deceived is thus tormented, because, although having life, they have given themselves over to death." "What kinds of luxury, sir," I asked, "are hurtful?" "Every act of a man which he performs with pleasure," he replied, "is an act of luxury; for the sharp-tempered man, when gratifying his tendency, indulges in luxury; and the adulterer, and the drunkard, and the back-biter, and the liar, and the covetous man, and the thief, and he who does things like these, gratifies his peculiar propensity, and in so doing indulges in luxury. All these acts of luxury are hurtful to the servants of God. On account of these deceits, therefore, do they suffer, who are punished and tortured. And there are also acts of luxury which save men; for many who do good indulge in luxury, being carried away by their own pleasure: this luxury, however, is beneficial to the servants of God, and gains life for such a man; but the injurious acts of luxury before enumerated bring tortures and punishment upon them; and if they continue in them and do not repent, they bring death upon themselves."
Seventh Similitude
THEY WHO REPENT MUST BRING FORTH FRUITS WORTHY OF REPENTANCE.
After a few days I saw him in the same plain where I had also. seen the shepherds; and he said to me, "What do you wish with me?" I said to him, "Sir, that you would order the shepherd who punishes to depart out of my house, because he afflicts me exceedingly." "It is necessary," he replied, "that you be afflicted; for thus," he continued, "did the glorious angel command concerning you, as he wishes you to be tried." "What have I done which is so bad, sir," I replied, "that I should be delivered over to this angel?"
"Listen," he said: "Your sins are many, but not so great as to require that you be delivered over to this angel; but your household has committed great iniquities and sins, and the glorious angel has been incensed at them on account of their deeds; and for this reason he commanded you to be afflicted for a certain time, that they also might repent, and purify themselves from every desire of this world. When, therefore, they repent and are purified, then the angel of punishment will depart." I said to him, "Sir, if they have done such things as to incense the glorious angel against them, yet what have I done?" He replied, "They cannot be afflicted at all, unless you, the head of the house, be afflicted: for when you are afflicted, of necessity they also suffer affliction; but if you are in comfort, they can feel no affliction."
"Well, sir," I said, "they have repented with their whole heart." "I know, too," he answered, "that they have repented with their whole heart: do you think, however, that the sins of those who repent are remitted? Not altogether, but he who repents must torture his own soul, and be exceedingly humble in all his conduct, and be afflicted with many kinds of affliction; and if he endure the afflictions that come upon him, He who created all things, and endued them with power, will assuredly have compassion, and will heal him; and this will He do when He sees the heart of every penitent pure from every evil thing: and it is profitable for you and for your house to suffer affliction now. But why should I say much to you? You must be afflicted, as that angel of the Lord commanded who delivered you to me. And for this give thanks to the Lord, because He has deemed you worthy of showing you beforehand this affliction, that, knowing it before it comes, you may be able to bear it with courage." I said to him, "Sir, be thou with me, and I will be able to bear all affliction." "I will be with you," he said, "and I will ask the angel of punishment to afflict you more lightly; nevertheless, you will be afflicted for a little time, and again you will be re-established in your house. Only continue humble, and serve the Lord in all purity of heart, you and your children, and your house, and walk in my commands which I enjoin upon you, and your repentance will be deep and pure; and if you observe these things with your household, every affliction will depart from you. And affliction," he added, "will depart from all who walk in these my commandments."
Eighth Similitude
THE SINS OF THE ELECT AND OF THE PENITENT ARE OF MANY KINDS, BUT ALL WILL BE REWARDED ACCORDING TO THE MEASURE OF THEIR REPENTANCE AND GOOD WORKS.
CHAPTER I.
He showed me a large willow tree overshadowing plains and mountains, and under the shade of this willow had assembled all those who were called by the name of the Lord. And a glorious angel of the Lord, who was very tall, was standing beside the willow, having a large, pruning-knife, and he was cutting little twigs from the willow and distributing them among the people that were overshadowed by the willow; and the twigs which he gave them were small, about a cubit, as it were, in length. And after they had all received the twigs, the angel laid down the pruning-knife, and that tree was sound, as I had seen it at first. And I marvelled within myself, saying, "How is the tree sound, after so many branches have been cut off?" And the Shepherd said to me, "Do not be surprised if the tree remains sound after so many branches were lopped off; [but wait, ] and when you shall have seen everything, then it will be explained to you what it means." The angel who had distributed the branches among the people again asked them from them, and in the order in which they had received them were they summoned to him, and each one of them returned his branch. And the angel of the Lord took and looked at them. From some he received the branches withered and moth-eaten; those who returned branches in that state the angel of the Lord ordered to stand apart. Others, again, returned them withered, but not moth-eaten; and these he ordered to stand apart. And others returned them half-withered, and these stood apart; and others returned their branches half-withered and having cracks in them, and these stood apart. [And others returned their branches green and having cracks in them; and these stood apart. ] And others returned their branches, one-half withered and the other green; and these stood apart. And others brought their branches two-thirds green and the remaining third withered; and these stood apart. And others returned them two-thirds withered and one-third green; and these stood apart. And others returned their branches nearly all green, the smallest part only, the top, being withered, but they had cracks in them; and these stood apart. And of others very little was green, but the remaining parts withered; and these stood apart. And others came bringing their branches green, as they had received them from the angel. And the majority of the crowd returned branches of that kind, and with these the angel was exceedingly pleased; and these stood apart. [And others returned their branches green and having offshoots; and these stood apart, and with these the angel was exceedingly delighted. ] And others returned their branches green and with offshoots, and the offshoots had some fruit, as it were; and those men whose branches were found to be of that kind were exceedingly joyful. And the angel was exultant because of them; and the Shepherd also rejoiced greatly because of them.
CHAPTER II.
And the angel of the Lord ordered crowns to be brought; and there were brought crowns, formed, as it were, of palms; and he crowned the men who had returned the branches Which had offshoots and some fruit, and sent them away into the tower. And the others also he sent into the tower, those, namely, who had returned branches that were green and had offshoots but no fruit, having given them seals. And all who went into the tower had the same clothing--white as snow. And those who returned their branches green, as they had received them, he set free, giving them clothing and seals. Now after the angel had finished these things, he said to the Shepherd, "I am going away, and you will send these away within the walls, according as each one is worthy to have his dwelling. And examine their branches carefully, and so dismiss them; but examine them with care. See that no one escape you,". he added; "and if any escape you, I will try them at the altar." Having said these words to the Shepherd, he departed. And after the angel had departed, the Shepherd said to me, "Let us take the branches of all these and plant them, and see if any of them will live." I said to him, "Sir, how can these withered branches live?" He answered, and said, "This tree is a willow, and of a kind that is very tenacious of life. If, therefore, the branches be planted, and receive a little moisture, many of them will live. And now let us try, and pour waters upon them; and if any of them live I shall rejoice with them, and if they do not I at least will not be found neglectful." And the Shepherd bade me call them as each one was placed. And they came, rank by rank, and gave their branches to the Shepherd. And the Shepherd received the branches, and planted them in rows; and after he had planted them he poured much water upon them, so that the branches could not be seen for the water; and after the branches had drunk it in, he said to me, "Let us go, and return after a few days, and inspect all the branches; for He who created this tree wishes all those to live who received branches from it. And I also hope that the greater part of these branches which received moisture and drank of the water will live."
CHAPTER III.
I said to him, "Sir, explain to me what this tree means, for I am perplexed about it, because, after so many branches have been cut off, it continues sound, and nothing appears to have been cut away from it. By this, now, I am perplexed." "Listen," he said: "This great tree that casts its shadow over plains, and mountains, and all the earth, is the law of God that was given to the whole world; and this law is the Son of God, proclaimed to the ends of the earth; and the people who are under its shadow are they who have heard the proclamation, and have believed upon Him. And the great and glorious angel Michael is he who has authority over this people, and governs them; for this is he who gave them the law into the hearts of believers: he accordingly superintends them to whom he gave it, to see if they have kept the same. And you see the branches of each one, for the branches are the law You see, accordingly, many branches that have been rendered useless, and you will know them all--those who have not kept the law; and you will see the dwelling of each one." I said to him, "Sir, why did he dismiss some into the tower, and leave others to you?" "All," he answered, "who transgressed the law which they received from him, he left under my power for repentance; but all who have satisfied the law, and kept it, he retains under his own authority." "Who, then," I continued, "are they who were crowned, and who go to the tower?" "These are they who have suffered on account of the law; but the others, and they who returned their branches green, and with offshoots, but without fruit, are they who have been afflicted on account of the law, but who have not suffered nor denied their law; and they who returned their branches green as they had received them, are the venerable, and the just, and they who have walked carefully in a pure heart, and have kept the commandments of the Lord. And the rest you will know when I have examined those branches which have been planted and watered."
CHAPTER IV.
And after a few days we came to the place, and the Shepherd sat down in the angel's place, and I stood beside him. And he said to me, "Gird yourself with pure, undressed linen made of sackcloth;" and seeing me girded, and ready to minister to him, "Summon," he said, "the men to whom belong the branches that were planted, according to the order in which each one gave them in." So I went away to the plain, and summoned them all, and they all stood in their ranks. He said to them, "Let each one pull out his own branch, and bring it to me." The first to give in were those who had them withered and cut; and because they were found to be thus withered and cut, he commanded them to stand apart. And next they gave them in who had them withered, but not cut. And some of them gave in their branches green, and some withered and eaten as by a moth. Those that gave them in green, accordingly, he ordered to stand apart; and those who gave them in dry and cut, he ordered to stand along with the first. Next they gave them in who had them half-withered and cracked; and many of them gave them in green and without crocks; and some green and with offshoots and fruits upon the offshoots, such as they had who went, after being crowned, into the tower. And some handed them in withered and eaten, and some withered and uneaten; and some as they were, half-withered and cracked. And he commanded them each one to stand apart, some towards their own rows, and others apart from them.
CHAPTER V.
Then they gave in their branches who had them green, but cracked: all these gave them in green, and stood in their own row. And the Shepherd was pleased with these, because they were all changed, and had lost their cracks. And they also gave them in who had them half-green and half-withered: of some, accordingly, the branches were found completely green; of others, half-withered; of others, withered and eaten; of others, green, and having offshoots. All these were sent away, each to his own row. [Next they gave in who had them two parts green and one-third withered. Many of them gave them half-withered; and others withered and rotten; and others half-withered and cracked, and a few green. These all stood in their own row. ] And they gave them in who had them green, but to a very slight extent withered and cracked. Of these, some gave them in green, and others green and with offshoots. And these also went away to their own row. Next they gave them who had a very small part green and the other parts withered. Of these the branches were found for the most part green and having offshoots, and fruit upon the offshoots, and others altogether green. With these branches the Shepherd was exceedingly pleased, because they were found in this state. And these went away, each to his own row.
CHAPTER VI.
After the Shepherd had examined the branches of them all, he said to me, "I told you that this tree was tenacious of life. You see," he continued, "how many repented and were saved." "I see, sir," I replied. "That you may behold," he added, "the great mercy of the Lord, that it is great and glorious, and that He has given His Spirit to those who are worthy of repentance." "Why then, sir," I said, "did not all these repent?" He answered, "To them whose heart He saw would become pure, and obedient to Him, He gave power to repent with the whole heart. But to them whose deceit and wickedness He perceived, and saw that they intended to repent hypocritically, He did not grant repentance, lest they should again profane His name." I said to him, "Sir, show me now, with respect to those who gave in the branches, of what sort they are, and their abode, in order that they hearing it who believed, and received the seal, and broke it, and did not keep it whole, may, on coming to a knowledge of their deeds, repent, and receive from you. a seal, and may glorify the Lord because He had compassion upon them, and sent you to renew their spirits." "Listen," he said: "they whose branches were found withered and moth-eaten are the apostates and traitors of the Church, who have blasphemed the Lord in their sins, and have, moreover, been ashamed of the name of the Lord by which they were called. These, therefore, at the end were lost unto God. And you see that not a single one of them repented, although they heard the words which I spake to them, which I enjoined upon you. From such life departed? And they who gave them in withered and undecayed, these also were near to them; for they were hypocrites, and introducers of strange doctrines, and subverters of the servants Of God, especially of those who had sinned, not allowing them to repent, but persuading them by foolish doctrines. These, accordingly, have a hope of repentance. And you see that many of them also have repented since I spake to them, and they will still repent. But all who will not repent have lost their lives; and as many of them as repented became good, and their dwelling was appointed within the first walls; and some of them ascended even into the tower. You see, then," he said, "that repentance involves life to sinners, but non-repentance death.
CHAPTER VII.
"And as many as gave in the branches half-withered and cracked, hear also about them. They whose branches were half-withered to the same extent are the wavering; for they neither live, nor are they dead. And they who have them half-withered and cracked are both waverers and slanderers, [railing against the absent,] and never at peace with one another, but always at variance. And yet to these also," he continued, "repentance is possible. You see," he said, "that some of them have repented, and there is still remaining in them," he continued, "a hope of repentance. And as many of them," he added, "as have repented, shall have their 42
dwelling in the tower. And those of them who have been slower in repenting shall dwell within the walls. And as many as do not repent at all, but abide in their deeds, shall utterly perish. And they who gave in their branches green and cracked were always faithful and good, though emulous of each other about the foremost places, and about fame: now all these are foolish, in indulging in such a rivalry. Yet they also, being naturally good, on hearing my commandments, purified themselves, and soon repented. Their dwelling, accordingly, was in the tower. But if any one relapse into strife, he will be east out of the tower, and will lose his life. Life is the possession of all who keep the commandments of the Lord; but in the commandments there is no rivalry in regard to the first places, or glory of any kind, but in regard to patience and personal humility. Among such persons, then, is the life of the Lord, but amongst the quarrelsome and transgressors, death.
CHAPTER VIII.
"And they who gave in their branches half-green and half-withered, are those who are immersed in business, and do not cleave to the saints. For this reason, the one half of them is living, and the other half dead. Many, accordingly, who heard my commands repented, and those at least who repented had their dwelling in the tower. But some of them at last fell away: these, accordingly, have not repentance, for on account of their business they blasphemed the Lord, and denied Him. They therefore lost their lives through the wickedness which they committed. And many of them doubted. These still have repentance in their power, if they repent speedily; and their abode will be in the tower. But if they are slower in repenting, they will dwell within the walls; and if they do not repent, they too have lost their lives. And they who gave in their branches two-thirds withered and one-third green, are those who have denied [the Lord] in various ways. Many, however, repented, but some of them hesitated and were in doubt. These, then, have repentance within their reach, if they repent quickly, and do not remain in their pleasures; but if they abide in their deeds, these, too, work to themselves death.
CHAPTER IX.
"And they who returned their branches two-thirds withered and one-third green, are those that were faithful indeed; but after acquiring wealth, and becoming distinguished amongst the heathen, they clothed themselves with great pride, and became lofty-minded, and deserted the truth, and did not cleave to the righteous, but lived with the heathen, and this way of life became more agreeable to them. They did not, however, depart from God, but remained in the faith, although not working the works of faith. Many of them accordingly repented, and their dwelling was in the tower. And others continuing to live until the end with the heathen, and being corrupted by their vain glories, [departed from God, serving the works and deeds of the heathen. ] These were reckoned with the heathen. But others of them hesitated, not hoping to be saved on account of the deeds which they had done; while others were in doubt, and caused divisions among themselves. To those, therefore, who were in doubt on account of their deeds, repentance is still open; but their repentance ought to be speedy, that their dwelling may be in the tower. And to those who do not repent, but abide in their pleasures, death is near.
CHAPTER X.
"And they who give in their branches green, but having the tips withered and cracked, these were always good, and faithful, and distinguished before God; but they sinned a very little through indulging small desires, and finding little faults with one another. But on hearing my words the greater part of them quickly repented, and their dwelling was upon the tower. Yet some of them were in doubt; and certain of them who were in doubt wrought greater dissension. Among these, therefore, is hope of repentance, because they were always good; and with difficulty will any one of them perish. And they who gave up their branches withered, but having a very small part green, are those who believed only, yet continue working the works of iniquity. They never, however, departed from God, but gladly bore His name, and joyfully received His servants into their houses. Having accordingly heard of this repentance, they unhesitatingly repented, and practise all virtue and righteousness; and some of them even [suffered, being willingly put to death ]. knowing their deeds which they had done. Of all these, therefore, the dwelling shall be in the tower."
CHAPTER XI.
And after he had finished the explanations of all the branches, he said to me, "Go and tell them to every one, that they may repent, and they shall live unto God. Because the Lord, having had compassion on all men, has sent me to give repentance, although some are not worthy of it on account of their works; but the Lord, being long-suffering, desires those who were called by His Son to be saved." I said to him, "Sir, I hope that all who have heard them will repent; for I am persuaded that each one, on coming to a knowledge of his own works, and fearing the Lord, will repent." He answered me, and said, "All who with their whole heart shall purify themselves from their wickedness before enumerated, and shah add no more to their sins, will receive healing from the Lord for their former transgressions, if they do not hesitate at these commandments; and they will live unto God. But do you walk in my commandments, and live." Having shown me these things, and spoken all these words, he said to me, "And the rest I will show you after a few days."
Ninth Similitude
THE GREAT MYSTERIES IN THE BUILDING OF THE MILITANT AND TRIUMPHANT CHURCH,
CHAPTER I
After I had written down the commandments and similitudes of the Shepherd, the angel of repentance, he came to me and said, "I wish to explain to you what the HOly Spirit that spake with you in the form of the Church showed you, for that Spirit is the Son of God. For, as you were somewhat weak in the flesh, it was not explained to you by the angel. When, however, you were strengthened by the Spirit, and your strength was increased, so that you were able to see the angel also, then accordingly was the building of the tower shown you by the Church. In a noble and solemn manner did you see everything as if shown you by a virgin; but now you see [them] through the same Spirit as if shown by an angel. You must, however, learn everything from me with greater accuracy. For I was sent for this purpose by the glorious angel to dwell in your house, that you might see all things with power, entertaining no fear, even as it was before." And he led me away into Arcadia, to a round hill; and he placed me on the top of the hill, and showed me a large plain, and round about the plain twelve mountains, all having different forms. The first was black as soot; and the second bare, without grass; and the third full of thorns and thistles; and the fourth with grass half-withered, the upper parts of the plants green, and the parts about the roots withered; and some of the grasses, when the sun scorched them, became withered. And the fifth mountain had green grass, and was ragged. And the sixth mountain was quite full of clefts, some small and others large; and the clefts were grassy, but the plants were not very vigorous, but rather, as it were, decayed. The seventh mountain, again, had cheerful pastures, and the whole mountain was blooming, and every kind of cattle and birds were feeding upon that mountain; and the more the cattle and the birds ate, the more the grass of that mountain flourished. And the eighth mountain was full of fountains, and every kind of the Lord's creatures drank of the fountains of that mountain. But the ninth mountain [had no water at all, and was wholly a desert, and had within it deadly serpents, which destroy men. And the tenth mountain ] had very large trees, and was completely shaded, and under the shadow of the trees sheep lay resting and ruminating. And the eleventh mountain was very thickly wooded, and those trees were productive, being adorned with various sons of fruits, so that any one seeing them would desire to eat of their fruits. The twelfth mountain, again, was wholly white, and its aspect was cheerful, and the mountain in itself was very beautiful.
CHAPTER II
And in the middle of the plain he showed me a large white rock that had arisen out of the plain. And the rock was more lofty than the mountains, rectangular in shape, so as to be capable of containing the whole world: and that rock Was old, having a gate cut out of it; and the cutting out of the gate seemed to me as if recently done. And the gate glittered to such a degree under the sunbeams, that I marvelled at the splendour of the gate; and round about the gate were standing twelve virgins. The four who stood at the corners seemed to me more distinguished than the others--they were all, however, distinguished--and they were standing at the four parts of the gate; two virgins between each part. And they were clothed with linen tunics, and gracefully girded, having their right shoulders exposed, as if about to bear some burden. Thus they stood ready; for they were exceedingly cheerful and eager. After I had seen these things, I marvelled in myself, because I was beholding great and glorious sights. And again I was perplexed about the virgins, because, although so delicate, they were standing courageously, as if about to carry the whole heavens. And the Shepherd said to me "Why are you reasoning in yourself, and perplexing your mind, and distressing yourself? for the things which you cannot understand, do not attempt to comprehend, as if you were wise; but ask the Lord, that you may receive understanding and know them. You cannot see what is behind you, but you see what is before. Whatever, then, you cannot see, let alone, and do not torment yourself about it: but what you see, make yourself master of it, and do not waste your labour about other things; and I will explain to you everything that I show you. Look therefore, on the things that remain."
CHAPTER III
I saw six men come, tall, and distinguished, and similar in appearance, and they summoned, a multitude of men. And they who came were also tall men, and handsome, and powerful; and the six men commanded them to build a tower above the rock. And great was the noise of those men who came to build the tower, as they ran hither and thither around the gate. And the virgins who stood around the gate told the men to hasten to build the tower. Now the virgins had spread out their hands, as if about to receive something from the men. And the six men commanded stones to ascend out of a certain pit, and to go to the building of the tower. And there went up ten shining rectangular stones, not hewn in a quarry. And the six men called the virgins, and bade them carry all the stones that were intended for the building, and to pass through the gate, and give them to the men who were about to build the tower. And the virgins put upon one another the ten first stones which had ascended from the pit, and carried them together, each stone by itself.
CHAPTER IV
And as they stood together around the gate, those who seemed to be strong carried them, and they stooped down under the corners of the stone; and the others stooped down under the sides of the stones. And in this way they carried all the stones. And they carried them through the gate as they were commanded, and gave them to the men for the tower; and they took the stones and proceeded with the building. Now the tower was built upon the great rock, and above the gate. Those ten stones were prepared as the foundation for the building of the tower. And the rock and gate were the support of the whole of the tower. And after the ten stones other twenty [five] came up out of the pit, and these were fired into the building of the tower, being carried by the virgins as before. And after these ascended thirty-five. And these in like manner were fitted into the tower. And after these other forty stones came up; and all these were cast into the building of the tower, [and there were four rows in the foundation of the tower, ] and they ceased ascending from the pit. And the builders also ceased for a little. And again the six men commanded the multitude of the crowd to bear stones from the mountains for the building of the tower. They were accordingly brought from all the mountains of various, colours, and being hewn by the men were given to the virgins; and the virgins carried them through the gate, and gave them for the building of the tower. And when the stones of various colours were placed in the building, they all became white alike, and lost their different colours. And certain stones were given by the men for the building, and these did not become shining; but as they were placed, such also were they found to remain: for they were not given by the virgins, nor carried through the gate. These stones, therefore, were not in keeping with the others in the building of the tower. And the six men, seeing these unsuitable stones in the building, commanded them to be taken away, and to be carried away down to their own place whence they had been taken; [and being removed one by one, they were laid aside; and] they say to the men who brought the stones, "Do not ye bring any stones at all for the building, but lay them down beside the tower, that the virgins may carry them through the gate, and may give them for the building. For unless," they said, "they be carried through the gate by the hands of the virgins, they cannot change their colours: do not toil, therefore," they said, "to no purpose."
CHAPTER V
And on that day the building was finished, but the tower was not completed; for additional building was again about to be added, and there was a cessation in the building. And the six men commanded the builders all to withdraw a little distance, and to rest, but enjoined the virgins not to withdraw from the tower; and it seemed to me that the virgins had been left to guard the tower. Now after all had withdrawn, and were resting themselves, I said to the Shepherd, "What is the reason that the building of the tower was not finished? "The tower," he answered, "cannot be finished just yet, until the Lord of it come and examine the building, in order that, if any of the stones be found to be decayed, he may change them: for the tower is built according to his pleasure." "I would like to know, sir," I said, "what is the meaning of the building of this tower, and what the rock and gate, and the mountains, and the virgins mean, and the stones that ascended from the pit, and were not hewn, but came as they were to the building. Why, in the first place, were ten stones placed in the foundation, then twenty-five, then thirty-five, then forty? and I wish also to know about the stones that went to the building, and were again taken out and returned to their own place? On all these points put my mind at rest, sir, and explain them to me." "If you are not found to be curious about trifles," he replied, "you shall know everything. For after a few days [we shall come hither, and you will see the other things that happen to this tower, and will know accurately all the similitudes." After a few days ] we came to the place where we sat down. And he said to me, "Let us go to the tower; for the master of the tower is coming to examine it." And we came to the tower, and there was no one at all near it, save the virgins only. And the Shepherd asked the virgins if perchance the master of the tower had come; and they replied that he was about to come to examine the building.
CHAPTER VI
And, behold, after a little I see an array of many men coming, and in the midst of them one man of so remarkable a size as to overtop the tower. And the six men who had worked upon the building were with him, and many other honourable men were around him. And the virgins who kept the tower ran forward and kissed him, and began to walk near him around the tower. And that man examined the building carefully, feeling every stone separately; and holding a rod in his hand, he struck every stone in the building three times. And when he struck them, some of them became black as soot, and some appeared as if covered with scabs, and some cracked, and some mutilated, and some neither white nor black, and some rough and not in keeping with the other stones, and some having Every many] stains: such were the varieties of decayed stones that were found in the building. He ordered all these to be taken out of the tower, and to be laid down beside it, and other stones to be brought and put in their stead. [And the builders asked him from what mountain he wished them to be brought and put in their place. ] And he did not command them to be brought from the mountains, [but he bade them be brought from a certain plain which was near at hand. ] And the plain was dug up, and shining rectangular stones were found, and some also of a round shape; and all the stones which were in that plain were brought, and carried through the gate by the virgins. And the rectangular stones were hewn, and put in place of those that were taken away; but the rounded stones were not put into the building, because they were hard to hew, and appeared to field slowly to the chisel; they were deposited, however, beside the tower, as if intended to be hewn and used in the building, for they were exceedingly brilliant.
CHAPTER VII
The glorious man, the lord of the whole tower, having accordingly finished these alterations, called to him the Shepherd, and delivered to him all the stones that were lying beside the tower, that had been rejected from the building, and said to him, "Carefully clean all these stones, and put aside such for the building of the tower as may harmonize with the others; and those that do not, throw far away from the tower." [Having given these orders to the Shepherd, he departed from the tower ], with all those with whom he had come. Now the virgins were standing around the tower, keeping it. I said again to the Shepherd, "Can these stones return to the building of the tower, after being rejected?" He answered me, and said, "Do you see these stones?" "I see them, sir," I replied. "The greater part of these stones," he said, "I will hew, and put into the building, and they will harmonize with the others."
"How, sir," I said, "can they, after being cut all round about, fill up the same space?" He answered, "Those that shall be found small will be thrown into the middle of the building, and those that are larger will be placed on the outside, and they will hold them together." Having spoken these words, he said to me, "Let us go, and after two days let us come and clean these stones, and cast them into the building; for all things around the tower must be cleaned, lest the Master come suddenly? and find the places about the tower dirty, and be displeased, and these stones be not returned for the building of the tower, and I also shall seem to be neglectful towards the Master." And after two days we came to the tower, and he said to me, "Let us examine all the stones, and ascertain those which may return to the building." I said to him, "Sir, let us examine them!"
CHAPTER VIII,
And beginning, we first examined the black stones: And such as they had been taken out of the building, were they found to remain; and the Shepherd ordered them to be removed out of the tower, and to be placed apart. Next he examined those that had scabs; and he took and hewed many of these, and commanded the virgins to take them up and cast them into the building. And the virgins lifted them up, and put them in the middle of the building of the tower. And the rest he ordered to be laid down beside the black ones; for these, too, were found to be black. He next examined those that had cracks; and he hewed many of these, and commanded them to be carried by the virgins to the building: and they were placed on the outside, because they were found to be sounder than the others; but the rest, on account of the multitude of the cracks, could not be hewn, and for this reason, therefore, they were rejected from the building of the tower. He next examined the chipped stones, and many amongst these were found to be black, arid some to have great crocks. And these also he commanded to be laid down along with those which had been rejected. But the remainder, after being cleaned and hewn, he commanded to be placed in the building. And the virgins took them up, and fitted them into the middle of the building of the tower, for they were somewhat weak. He next examined those that were half white and half black, and many of them were found to be black. And he commanded these also to be taken away along with those which had been rejected. And the rest were all taken away by the virgins; for, being white, they were fitted by the virgins themselves into the building. And they were placed upon the outside, because they were found to be sound, so as to be able to support those which were placed in the middle, for no part of them at all was chipped. He next examined those that were rough and hard; and a few of them were rejected because they could not be hewn, as they were found exceedingly hard. But the rest of them were hewn, and carried by the virgins, and fitted into the middle of the building of the tower; for they were somewhat weak. He next examined those that had stains; and of these a very few were black, and were thrown aside with the others; but the greater part were found to be bright, and these were fitted by the virgins into the building, but on account of their strength were placed on the outside.
CHAPTER IX
He next came to examine the white and rounded stones, and said to me, "What are we to do with these stones? "How do I know, sir? "I replied. "Have you no intentions regarding them? "Sir," I answered, "I am not acquainted with this art, neither am I a stone-cutter, nor can I tell." "Do you not see," he said, "that they are exceedingly round? and if I wish to make them ractangular, a large portion of them must be cut away; for some of them must of necessity be put into the building." "If therefore," I said, "they must, why do you torment yourself, and not at once choose for the building those which you prefer, and fit them into it?" He selected the larger ones among them, and the shining ones, and hewed them; and the virgins carried and fitted them into the outside parts of the building. And the rest which remained over were carded away, and laid down on the plain from which they were brought. They were not, however, rejected, "because," he said, "there remains yet a little addition to be built to the tower. And the lord of this tower wishes all the stones to be fitted into the building, because they are exceedingly bright." And twelve women were called, very beautiful in form, clothed in black, and with dishevelled hair. And these women seemed to me to be fierce. But the Shepherd commanded them to lift the stones that were rejected from the building, and to carry them away to the mountains from which they had been brought. And they were merry, and carded away all the stones, and put them in the place whence they had been taken. Now after all the stones were removed, and there was no longer a single one lying around the tower, he said, "Let us go round the tower and see, lest there be any defect in it." So I went round the tower along with him. And the Shepherd, seeing that the tower was beautifully built, rejoiced exceedingly; for the tower was built in such a way, that, on seeing it, I coveted the building of it, for it was constructed as if built of one stone, without a single joining. And the stone seemed as if hewn out of the rock; having to me the appearance of a monolith.
CHAPTER X
And as I walked along with him, I was full of joy, beholding so many excellent things. And the Shepherd said to me, "Go and bring unslacked lime and fine-baked clay, that I may fill up the forms of the stones that were taken and thrown into the building; for everything about the tower must be smooth." And I did as he commanded me, and brought it to him. "Assist me," he said, "and the work will soon be finished." He accordingly filled up the forms of the stones that were returned to the building, and commanded the places around the tower to be swept and to be cleaned; and the virgins took brooms and swept the place, and carried all the dirt out of the tower, and brought water, and the ground around the tower became cheerful and very beautiful. Says the Shepherd to me, "Everything has been cleared away; if the lord of the tower come to inspect it, he can have no fault to find with us." Having spoken these words, he wished to depart; but I laid hold of him by the wallet, and began to adjure him by the Lord that he would explain what he had showed me. He said to me, "I must rest a little, and then I shall explain to you everything; wait for me here until I return." I said to him, "Sir, what can I do here alone?" "You are not alone," he said, "for these virgins are with you." "Give me in charge to them, then," I replied. The Shepherd called them to him, and said to them, "I entrust him to you until I come," and went away. And I was alone with the virgins; and they were rather merry, but were friendly to me, especially the four more distinguished of them.
CHAPTER XI
The virgins said to me, "The Shepherd does not come here today." "What, then," said I, "am I to do?" They replied, "Wait for him until he comes; and if he comes he will converse with you, and if he does not come you will remain here with us until he does come." I said to them, "I will wait for him until it is late; and if he does not arrive, I will go away into the house, and come back early in the morning." And they answered and said to me, "You were entrusted to us; you cannot go away from us." "Where, then," I said, "am I to remain? "You will sleep with us," they replied, "as a brother, and not as a husband: for you are our brother, and for the time to come we intend to abide with you, for we love you exceedingly!" But I was ashamed to remain with them. And she who seemed to be the first among them began to kiss me. [And the others seeing her kissing me, began also to kiss me], and to lead me round the tower, and to play with me. And I, too, became like a young man, and began to play with them: for some of them formed a chorus, and others danced, and others sang; and I, keeping silence, walked with them around the tower, and was merry with them. And when it grew late I wished to go into the house; and they would not let me, but detained me. So I remained with them during the night, and slept beside the tower. Now the virgins spread their linen tunics on the ground, and made me lie down in the midst of them; and they did nothing at all but pray; and I without ceasing prayed with them, and not less than they. And the virgins rejoiced because I thus prayed. And I remained there with the virgins until the next day at the second hour. Then the Shepherd returned, and said to the virgins, "Did you offer him any insult? "Ask him," they said. I said to him, "Sir, I was delighted that I remained with them." "On what," he asked, "did you sup? "I supped, sir," I replied, "on the words of the Lord the whole night." "Did they receive you well?" he inquired. "Yes, sir," I answered. "Now," he said, "what do you wish to hear first?" "I wish to hear in the order," I said, "in which you showed me from the beginning. I beg of you, sir, that as I shall ask you, so also you will give me the explanation." "As you wish," he replied, "so also will I explain to you, and will conceal nothing at all from you."
CHAPTER XII
"First of all, sir," I said, "explain this to me: What is the meaning of the rock and the gate?" "This rock," he answered, "and this gate are the Son of God." "How, sir?" I said; "the rock is old, and the gate is new." "Listen," he said, "and understand, O ignorant man. The Son of God is older than all His creatures, so that He was a fellow-councillor with the Father in His work of creation: for this reason is He old." "And why is the gate new, sir?" I said. "Because," he answered, "He became manifest in the last days of the dispensation: for this reason the gate was made new, that they who are to be saved by it might enter into the kingdom of God. You saw," he said, "that those stones which came in through the gate were used for the building of the tower, and that those which did not come, were again thrown back to their own place? "I saw, sir," I replied. "In like manner," he continued, "no one shall enter into the kingdom of God unless he receive His holy name. For if you desire to enter into a city, and that city is surrounded by a wall, and has but one gate, can you enter into that city save through the gate which it has?" "Why, how can it be otherwise, sir?" I said. "If, then, you cannot enter into the city except through its gate, so, in like manner, a man cannot otherwise enter into the kingdom of God than by the name of His beloved Son. You saw," he added, "the multitude who were building the tower?" "I saw them, sir," I said. "Those," he said, "are all glorious angels, and by them accordingly is the Lord surrounded. And the gate is the Son of God. This is the one entrance to the Lord. In no other way, then, shall any one enter in to Him except through His Son. You saw," he continued, "the six men, and the tail and glorious man in the midst of them, who walked round the tower, and rejected the stones from the building? "I saw him, sir," I answered. "The glorious man," he said, "is the Son of God, and those six glorious angels are those who support Him on the right hand and on the left. None of these glorious angels," he continued, "will enter in unto God apart from Him. Whosoever does not receive His name, shall not enter into the kingdom of God."
CHAPTER XIII
"And the tower," I asked, "what does it mean? "This tower," he replied, "is the Church." "And these virgins, who are they?" "They are holy spirits, and men cannot otherwise be found in the kingdom of God unless these have put their clothing upon them: for if you receive the name only, and do not receive from them the clothing, they are of no advantage to you. For these virgins are the powers of the Son of God. If you bear His name but possess not His power, it will be in vain that you bear His name. Those stones," he continued, "which you saw rejected bore His name, but did not put on the clothing of the virgins." "Of what nature is their clothing, sir?" I asked. "Their very names," he said, "are their clothing. Every one who bears the name of the Son of God, ought to bear the names also of these; for the Son Himself bears the names of these virgins. As many stones," he continued, "as you saw [come into the building of the tower through the hands ] of these virgins, and remaining, have been clothed with their strength. For this reason you see that the tower became of one stone with the rock. So also they who have believed on the Lord through His Son, and are clothed with these spirits, shall become one spirit, one body, and the colour of their garments shall be one. And the dwelling of such as bear the names of the virgins is in the tower." "Those stones, sir, that were rejected," I inquired, "on what account were they rejected? for they passed through the gate, and were placed by the hands of the virgins in the building of the tower." "Since you take an interest in everything," he replied, "and examine minutely, hear about the stones that were rejected. These all," he said, "received the name of God, and they received also the strength of these virgins. Having received, then, these spirits, they were made strong, and were with the servants of God; and theirs was one spirit, and one body, and one clothing. For they were of the same mind, and wrought righteousness. After a certain time, however, they were persuaded by the women whom you saw clothed in black, and having their shoulders exposed and their hair dishevelled, and beautiful in appearance. Having seen these women, they desired to have them, and clothed themselves with their strength, and put off the strength of the virgins. These, accordingly, were rejected from the house of God, and were given over to these women. But they who were not deceived by the beauty of these women remained in the house of God. You have," he said, "the explanation of those who were rejected."
CHAPTER XIV
"What, then, sir," I said, "if these men, being such as they are, repent and put away their desires after these women, and return again to the virgins, and walk in their strength and in their works, shall they not enter into the house of God? "They shall enter in," he said, "if they put away the works of these women, and put on again the strength of the virgins, and walk in their works. For on this account was there a cessation in the building, in order that, if these repent, they may depart into the building of the tower. But if they do not repent, then others will come in their place, and these at the end will be cast out. For all these things I gave thanks to the Lord, because He had pity on all that call upon His name; and sent the angel of repentance to us who sinned against Him, and renewed our spirit; and when we were already destroyed, and had no hope of life, He restored us to newness of life." "Now, sir," I continued, "show me why the tower was not built upon the ground, but upon the rock and upon the gate." "Are you still," he said, "without sense and understanding? "I must, sir," I said, "ask you of all things, because I am wholly unable to understand them; for all these things are great and glorious, and difficult for man to understand." "Listen," he said: "the name of the Son of God is great, and cannot be contained, and supports the whole world. If, then, the whole creation is supported by the Son of God, what think ye of those who are called by Him, and bear the name of the Son of God, and walk in His commandments? do you see what kind of persons He supports? Those who bear His name with their whole heart. He Himself, accordingly, became a foundation to them, and supports them with joy, because they are not ashamed to bear His name."
CHAPTER XV.
"Explain to me, sir," I said, "the names of these virgins, and of those women who were clothed in black raiment." "Hear," he said, "the names of the stronger virgins who stood at the comers. The first is Faith, the second Continence, the third Power, the fourth Patience. And the others standing in the midst of these have the following names: Simplicity, Innocence, Purity, Cheerfulness, Truth, Understanding, Harmony, Love. He who bears these names and that of the Son of God will be able to enter into the kingdom of God. Hear, also," he continued, "the names of the women who had the black garments; and of these four are stronger than the rest. The first is Unbelief, the second: Incontinence, the third Disobedience, the fourth Deceit. And their followers are called Sorrow, Wickedness, Wantonness, Anger, Falsehood, Folly, Backbiting, Hatred. The servant of God who bears these names shall see, indeed, the kingdom of God, but shall not enter into it." "And the stones, sir," I said, "which were taken out of the pit and fitted into the building: what are they?" "The first," he said, "the ten, viz, that were placed as a foundation, are the first generation, and the twenty-five the second generation, of righteous men; and the thirty-five are the prophets of God and His ministers; and the forty are the apostles and teachers of the preaching of the Son of God." "Why, then, sir," I asked, "did the virgins carry these stones also through the gate, and give them for the building of the tower?" "Because," he answered, "these were the first who bore these spirits, and they never departed from each other, neither the spirits from the men nor the men from the spirits, but the spirits remained with them until their falling asleep. And unless they had had these spirits with them, they would not have been of use for the building of this tower."
CHAPTER XVI
"Explain to me a little further, sir," I said. "What is it that you desire?" he asked. "Why, sir," I said, "did these stones ascend out of the pit, and be applied to the building of the tower, after having borne these spirits? "They were obliged," he answered, "to ascend through water in order that they might be made alive; for, unless they laid aside the deadness of their life, they could not in any other way enter into the kingdom of God. Accordingly, those also who fell asleep received the seal of the Son of God. For," he continued, "before a man bears the name of the Son of God s he is dead; but when he receives the seal he lays aside his deadness, and obtains life. The seal, then, is the water: they descend into the water dead, and they arise alive. And to them, accordingly, was this seal preached, and they made use of it that they might enter into the kingdom of God." "Why, sir," I asked, "did the forty stones also ascend with them out of the pit, having already received the seal?" "Because," he said, "these apostles and teachers who preached the name of the Son of God, after falling asleep in the power and faith of the Son of God, preached it not only to those who were asleep, but themselves also gave them the seal of the preaching. Accordingly they descended with them into the water, and again ascended. [But these descended alive and rose up again alive; whereas they who had previously fallen asleep descended dead, but rose up again alive. ] By these, then, were they quickened and made to know the name of the Son of God. For this reason also did they ascend with them, and were fitted along with them into the building of the tower, and, untouched by the chisel, were built in along with them. For they slept in righteousness and in great purity, but only they had not this seal. You have accordingly the explanation of these also."
CHAPTER XVII
"I understand, sir," I replied. "Now, sir," I continued, "explain to me, with respect to the mountains, why their forms are various and diverse."
"Listen," he said: "these mountains are the twelve tribes, which inhabit the whole world. The Son of God, accordingly, was preached unto them by the apostles." "But why are the mountains of various kinds, some having one form, and others another? Explain that to me, sir." "Listen," he answered: "these twelve tribes that inhabit the whole world are twelve nations. And they vary in prudence and understanding. As numerous, then, as are the varieties of the mountains which you saw, are also the diversities of mind and understanding among these nations. And I will explain to you the actions of each one." "First, sir," I said, "explain this: why, when the mountains are so diverse, their stones, when placed in the building, became one colour, shining like those also that had ascended out of the pit." "Because," he said, "all the nations that dwell under heaven were called by hearing and believing upon the name of the Son of God. Having, therefore, received the seal, they had one understanding and one mind; and their faith became one, and their love one, and with the name they bore also the spirits of the virgins. On this account the building of the tower became of one colour, bright as the sun. But after they had entered into the same place, and became one body, certain of these defiled themselves, and were expelled from the race of the righteous, and became again what they were before, or rather worse."
CHAPTER XVIII
"How, sir," I said, "did they become worse, after having known God?" "He that does not know God," he answered, "and practises evil, receives a certain chastisement for his wickedness; but he that has known God, ought not any longer to do evil, but to do good. If, accordingly, when he ought to do good, he do evil, does not he appear to do greater evil than he who does not know God? For this reason, they who have not known God and do evil are condemned to death; but they who have known God, and have seen His mighty works, and still continue in evil, shall be chastised doubly, and shall die for ever. In this way, then, will the Church of God be purified. For as you saw the stones rejected from the tower, and delivered to the evil spirits, and cast out thence, so [they also shall be cast out, and ] there shall be one body of the purified; as the tower also became, as it were, of one stone after its purification. In like manner also shall it be with the Church of God, after it has been purified, and has rejected the wicked, and the hypocrites, and the blasphemers, and the waverers, and those who commit wickedness of different kinds. After these have been cast away, the Church of God shall be one body, of one mind, of one understanding, of one faith, of one love. And then the Son of God will be exceeding glad, and shall rejoice over them, because He has received His people pure." "All these things, sir," I said, "are great and glorious.
"Moreover, sir," I said, "explain to me the power and the actions of each one of the mountains, that every soul, trusting in the Lord, and hearing it, may glorify His great, and marvellous, and glorious name." "Hear," he said, "the diversity of the mountains and of the twelve nations.
CHAPTER XIX
"From the first mountain, which was black, they that believed are the following: apostates and blasphemers against the Lord, and betrayers of the servants of God. To these repentance is not open; but death lies before them, and on this account also are they black, for their race is a lawless one. And from the second mountain, which was bare, they who believed are the following: hypocrites, and teachers of wickedness. And these, accordingly, are like the former, not having any fruits of righteousness; for as their mountain was destitute of fruit, so also such men have a name indeed, but are empty of faith, and there is no fruit of truth in them. They indeed have repentance in their power, if they repent quickly; but if they are slow in so doing, they shall die along with the former." "Why, sir," I said, "have these repentance, but the former not? for their actions are nearly the same." "On this account,"
he said, "have these repentance, because they did not blaspheme their Lord, nor become betrayers of the servants of God; but on account of their desire of possessions they became hypocritical, and each one taught according to the desires of men that were sinners. But they will suffer a certain punishment; and repentance is before them, because they were not blasphemers or traitors.
CHAPTER XX
"And from the third mountain, which had thorns and thistles, they who believed are the following. There are some of them rich, and others immersed in much business. The thistles are the rich, and the thorns are they who are immersed in much business. Those, [accordingly, who are entangled in many various kinds of business, do not ] cleave to the servants of God, but wander away, being choked by their business transactions; and the rich cleave with difficulty to the servants of God, fearing lest these should ask something of them. Such persons, accordingly, shall have difficulty in entering the kingdom of God. For as it is disagreeable to walk among thistles with naked feet, so also it is hard for such to enter the kingdom of God.
But to all these repentance, and that speedy, is open, in order that what they did not do in former times they may make up for in these days, and do some good, and they shall live unto God. But if they abide in their deeds, they shall be delivered to those women, who will put them to death.
CHAPTER XXI
"And from the fourth mountain, which had much grass, the upper parts of the plants green, and the parts about the roots withered, and some also scorched by the sun, they who believed are the following: the doubtful, and they who have the Lord upon their lips, but have Him not in their heart. On this account their foundations are withered, and have no strength; and their words alone live, while their works are dead. Such persons are [neither alive nor ] dead. They resemble, therefore, the waverers: for the wavering are neither withered nor green, being neither living nor dead. For as their blades, on seeing the sun, were withered, so also the wavering, when they hear of affliction, on account of their fear, worship idols, and are ashamed of the name of their Lord. Such, then, are neither alive nor dead. But these also may yet live, if they repent quickly; and if they do not repent, they are already delivered to the women, who take away their life.
CHAPTER XXII.
"And from the fifth mountain, which had green grass, and was rugged, they who believed are the following: believers, indeed, but slow to learn, and obstinate, and pleasing themselves, wishing to know everything, and knowing nothing at all. On account of this obstinacy of theirs, understanding departed from them, and foolish senselessness entered into them. And they praise themselves as having wisdom, and desire to become teachers, although destitute of sense. On account, therefore, of this loftiness of mind, many became vain, exalting themselves: for self-will and empty confidence is a great demon. Of these, accordingly, many were rejected, but some repented and believed, and subjected themselves to those that had understanding, knowing their own foolishness. And to the rest of this class repentance is open; for they were not wicked, but rather foolish, and without understanding. If these therefore repent, they will live unto God; but if they do not repent, they shall have their dwelling with the women who wrought wickedness among them.
CHAPTER XXIII.
"And those from the sixth mountain, which had clefts large and small, and decayed grass in the clefts, who believed, were the following: they who occupy the small clefts are those who bring charges against one another, and by reason of their slanders have decayed in the faith. Many of them, however, repented; and the rest also will repent when they hear my commandments, for their slanders are small, and they will quickly repent. But they who occupy the large clefts are persistent in their slanders, and vindictive in their anger against each other. These, therefore, were thrown away from the tower, and rejected from having a part in its building. Such persons, accordingly, shall have difficulty in living. If our God and Lord, who rules over all things, and has power over all His creation, does not remember evil against those who confess their sins, but is merciful, does man, who is corruptible and full of sins, remember evil against a fellow-man, as if he were able to destroy or to save him? I, the angel of repentance, say unto you, As many of you as are of this way of thinking, lay it aside, and repent, and the Lord will heal your former sins, if you purify yourselves from this demon; but if not, you will be delivered over to him for death.
CHAPTER XXIV.
"And those who believed from the seventh mountain, on which the grass was green and flourishing, and the whole of the mountain fertile, and every kind of cattle and the fowls of heaven were feeding on the grass on this mountain, and the grass on which they pastured became more abundant, were the following: they were always simple, and harmless, and blessed, bringing no charges against one another, but always rejoicing greatly because of the servants of God, and being clothed with the holy spirit of these virgins, and always having pity on every man, and giving aid from their own labour to every man, without reproach and without hesitation. The Lord, therefore, seeing their simplicity and all their meekness, multiplied them amid the labours of their hands, and gave them grace in all their doings. And I, the angel of repentance, say to you who are such, Continue to be such as these, and your seed will never be blotted out; for the Lord has made trial of you, and inscribed you in the number of us, and the whole of your seed will dwell with the Son of God; for ye have received of His Spirit.
CHAPTER XXV.
"And they who believed from the eighth mountain, where were the many fountains, and where all the creatures of God drank of the fountains, were the following: apostles, and teachers, who preached to the whole world, and who taught solemnly and purely the word of the Lord, and did not at all fall into evil desires, but walked always in righteousness and truth, according as they had received the Holy Spirit. Such persons, therefore, shall enter in with the angels.
CHAPTER XXVI.
"And they who believed from the ninth mountain, which was deserted, and had in it creeping things and wild beasts which destroy men, were the following: they who had the stains as servants, who discharged their duty ill, and who plundered widows and orphans of their livelihood, and gained possessions for themselves from the ministry, which they had received. If, therefore, they remain under the dominion of the same desire, they are dead, and there is no hope of life for them; but if they repent, and finish their ministry in a holy manner, they shall be able to live. And they who were covered with scabs are those who have denied their Lord, and have not returned to Him again; but becoming withered and desert-like, and not cleaving to the servants of God, but living in solitude, they destroy their own souls. For as a vine, when left within an enclosure, and meeting with neglect, is destroyed, and is made desolate by the weeds, and in time grows wild, and is no longer of any use to its master, so also are such men as have given themselves up, and become useless to their Lord, from having contracted savage habits. These men, therefore, have repentance in their power, unless they are found to have denied from the heart; but if any one is found to have denied from the heart, I do not know if he may live. And I say this not for these present days, in order that any one who has denied may obtain repentance, for It is impossible for him to be saved who now intends to deny his Lord; but to those who denied Him long ago, repentance seems to be possible. If, therefore, any one intends to repent, let him do so quickly, before the tower is completed; for if not, he will be utterly destroyed by the women. And the chipped stones are the deceitful and the slanderers; and the wild beasts. which you saw on the ninth mountain, are the same. For as wild beasts destroy and kill a man by their poison, so also do the words of such men destroy and ruin a man. These, accordingly, are mutilated in their faith, on account of the deeds which they have done in themselves; yet some repented, and were saved. And the rest, who are of such a character, can be saved if they repent; but if they do not repent, they will perish with those women, whose strength they have assumed.
CHAPTER XXVII.
"And from the tenth mountain, where were trees which overshadowed certain sheep, they who believed were the following: bishops given to hospitality, who always gladly received into their houses the servants of God, without dissimulation. And the bishops never failed to protect, by their service, the widows, and those who were in want, and always maintained a holy conversation. All these, accordingly, shall be protected by the Lord for ever. They who do these things are honourable before God, and their place is already with the angels, if they remain to the end serving God.
CHAPTER XXVIII.
"And from the eleventh mountain, where were trees full of fruits, adorned with fruits of various kinds, they who believed were the following: they who suffered for the name of the Son of God, and who also suffered cheerfully with their whole heart, and laid down their lives." "Why, then, sir," I said, "do all these trees bear fruit, and some of them fairer than the rest? "Listen," he said: "all who once suffered for the name of the Lord are honourable before God; and of all these the sins were remitted, because they suffered for the name of the Son of God. And why their fruits are of various kinds, and some of them superior, listen. All," he continued, "who were brought before the authorities and were examined, and did not deny, but suffered cheerfully--these are held in greater honour with God, and of these the fruit is superior; but all who were cowards, and in doubt, and who reasoned in their hearts whether they would deny or confess, and yet suffered, of these the fruit is less, because that suggestion came into their hearts; for that suggestion--that a servant should deny his Lord--is evil. Have a care, therefore, ye who are planning such things, lest that suggestion remain in your hearts, and ye perish unto God. And ye who suffer for His name ought to glorify God, because He deemed you worthy to bear His name, that all your sins might be healed. [Therefore, rather deem yourselves happy], and think that ye have done a great thing, if any of you suffer on account of God. The Lord bestows upon you life, and ye do not understand, for your sins were heavy; but if you had not suffered for the name of the Lord, ye would have died to God on account of your sins. These things I say to you who are hesitating about denying or confessing: acknowledge that ye have the Lord, lest, denying Him, ye be delivered up to prison. If the heathen chastise their slaves, when one of them denies his master, what, think ye, will your Lord do, who has authority over all men? Put away these counsels out of your hearts, that you may live continually unto God.
CHAPTER XXIX.
"And they who believed from the twelfth mountain, which was white, are the following: they are as infant children, in whose hearts no evil originates; nor did they know what wickedness is, but always remained as children. Such accordingly, without doubt, dwell in the kingdom of God, because they defiled in nothing the commandments of God; but they remained like children all the days of their life in the same mind. All of you, then, who shall remain stedfast, and be as children, without doing evil, will be more honoured than all who have been previously mentioned; for all infants are honourable before God, and are the first persons with Him. Blessed, then, are ye who put away wickedness from yourselves, and put on innocence. As the first of all will you live unto God."
After he had finished the similitudes of the mountains, I said to him, "Sir, explain to me now about the stones that were taken out of the plain, and put into the building instead of the stones that were taken out of the tower; and about the round stones that were put into the building; and those that still remain round."
CHAPTER XXX.
"Hear," he answered, "about all these also. The stones taken out of the plain and put into the building of the tower instead of those that were rejected, are the roots of this white mountain. When, therefore, they who believed from the white mountain were all found guileless, the Lord of the tower commanded those from the roots of this mountain to be cast into the building of the tower; for he knew that if these stones were to go to the building of the tower, they would remain bright, and not one of them become black. But if he had so resolved with respect to the other mountains, it would have been necessary for him to visit that tower again, and to cleanse it. Now all these persons were found white who believed, and who will yet believe, for they are of the same race. This is a happy race, because it is innocent. Hear now, further, about these round and shining stones. All these also are from the white mountain. Hear, moreover, why they were found round: because their riches had obscured and darkened them a little from the truth, although they never departed from God; nor did any evil word proceed out of their mouth, but all justice, virtue, and truth. When the Lord, therefore, saw the mind of these persons, that they were born good, and could be good, He ordered their riches to be cut down, not to be taken s away for ever, that they might be able to do some good with what was left them; and they will live unto God, because they are of a good race. Therefore were they rounded a little by the chisel, and put in the building of the tower.
CHAPTER XXXI.
"But the other round stones, which had not yet been adapted to the building of the tower, and had not yet received the seal, were for this reason put back into their place, because they are exceedingly round. Now this age must be cut down in these things, and in the vanities of their riches, and then they will meet in the kingdom of God; for they must of necessity enter into the kingdom of God, because the Lord has blessed this innocent race. Of this race. therefore, no one will perish; for although any of them be tempted by the most wicked devil, and commit sin, he will quickly return to his Lord.
I deem you happy, I, who am the messenger of repentance, whoever of you are innocent as children, because your part is good, and honourable before God.
Moreover, I say to you all, who have received the seal of the Son of God, be clothed with simplicity, and be not mindful of offences, nor remain in wickedness. Lay aside, therefore, the recollection of your offences and bitternesses, and you will be formed in one spirit. And heal and take away from you those wicked schisms, that if the Lord of the flocks come, He may rejoice concerning you. And He will rejoice, if He find all things sound, and none of you shall perish. But if He find any one of these sheep strayed, woe to the shepherds! And if the shepherds themselves have strayed, what answer will they give Him for their flocks? Will they perchance say that they were harassed by their flocks? They will not be believed, for the thing is incredible that a shepherd could suffer from his flock; rather will he be punished on account of his falsehood. And I myself am a shepherd, and I am under a most stringent necessity of rendering an account of you.
CHAPTER XXXII.
"Heal yourselves, therefore, while the tower is still building. The Lord dwells in men that love peace, because He loved peace; but from the contentious and the utterly wicked He is far distant. Restore to Him, therefore, a spirit sound as ye received it. For when you have given to a fuller a new garment, and desire to receive it back entire at the end, if, then, the fuller return you a torn garment, will you take it from him, and not rather be angry, and abuse him, saying, 'I gave you a garment that was entire:
why have you rent it, and made it useless, so that it can be of no use on account of the rent which you have made in it?' Would you not say all this to the fuller about the rent which you found in your garment? If, therefore, you grieve about your garment, and complain because you have not received it entire, what do you think the Lord will do to you, who gave you a sound spirit, which you have rendered altogether useless, so that it can be of no service to its possessor? for its use began to be unprofitable, seeing it was corrupted by you. Will not the Lord, therefore, because of this conduct of yours regarding His Spirit, act in the same way, and deliver you over to death? Assuredly, I say, he will do the same to all those whom He shall find retaining a recollection of offences. Do not trample His mercy under foot, He says, but rather honour Him, because He is so patient with your sins, and is not as ye are. Repent, for it is useful to you.
CHAPTER XXXIII.
"All these things which are written above, I, the Shepherd, the messenger of repentance, have showed and spoken to the servants of God. If therefore ye believe, and listen to my words, and walk in them, and amend your ways, you shall have it in your power to live: but if you remain in wickedness, and in the recollection of offences, no sinner of that class will live unto God. All these words which I had to say have been spoken unto you."
The Shepherd said to me," Have you asked me everything?" And I replied, "Yes, sir." "Why did you not ask me about the shape of the stones that were put into the building, that I might explain to you why we filled up the shapes?" And I said, "I forgot, sir." "Hear now, then," he said, "about this also. These are they who have now heard my commandments, and repented with their whole hearts. And when the Lord saw that their repentance was good and pure, and that they were able to remain in it, He ordered their former sins to be blotted out. For these shapes were their sins, and they were levelled down, that they might not appear."
Tenth Similitude
CONCERNING REPENTANCE AND ALMS-GIVING.
CHAPTER I.
After I had fully written down this book, that messenger who had delivered me to the Shepherd came into the house in which I was, and sat down upon a couch, and the Shepherd stood on his fight hand. He then called me, and spoke to me as follows: "I have delivered you and your house to the Shepherd, that you may be protected by him." "Yes, sir," I said. "If you wish, therefore, to be protected," he said, from all annoyance, and from all harsh treatment, and to have success in every good work and word, and to possess all the virtues of righteousness, walk in these commandments which he has given you, and you will be able to subdue all wickedness. For if you keep those commandments, every desire and pleasure of the world will be subject to you, and success will attend you in every good work. Take unto yourself his experience and moderation, and say to all that he is in great honour and dignity with God, and that he is a president with great power, and mighty in his office. To him alone throughout the whole world is the power of repentance assigned. Does he seem to you to be powerful? But you despise his experience, and the moderation which he exercises towards you."
CHAPTER II.
I said to him, "Ask himself, sir, whether from the time that he has entered my house I have done anything improper, or have offended him in any respect." He answered, "I also know that you neither have done nor will do anything improper, and therefore I speak these words to you, that you may persevere. For he had a good report of you to me, and you will say these words to others, that they also who have either repented or will still repent may entertain the same feelings with you, and he may report well of these to me, and I to the Lord." And I said, "Sir, I make known to every man the great works of God: and I hope that all those who love them, and have sinned before, on heating these words, may repent, and receive life again." "Continue, therefore, in this ministry, and finish it. And all who follow out his commands shall have life, and great honour with the Lord. But those who do not keep his commandments, flee from his life, and despise him. But he has his own honour with the LOrd. All, therefore, who shall despise him, and not follow his commands, deliver themselves to death, and every one of them will be guilty of his own blood.
But I enjoin you, that you obey his commands, and you will have a cure for your former sins.
CHAPTER III.
"Moreover, I sent you these virgins, that they may dwell with you. For I saw that they were courteous to you. You will therefore have them as assistants, that you may be the better able to keep his commands: for it is impossible that these commandments can be observed without these virgins. I see, moreover, that they abide with you willingly; but I will also instruct them not to depart at all from your house: do you only keep your house pure, as they will delight to dwell in a pure abode. For they are pure, and chaste, and industrious, and have all influence with the Lord. Therefore, if they find your house to be pure, they will remain with you; but if any defilement, even a little, befall it, they will immediately withdraw from your house. For these virgins do not at all like any defilement." I said to him, "I hope, sir, that I will please them, so that they may always be willing to inhabit my house. And as he to whom you entrusted me has no complaint against me, so neither will they have." He said to the Shepherd, "I see that the servant of God wishes to live, and to keep these commandments, and will place these virgins in a pure habitation." When he had spoken these words he again delivered me to the Shepherd, and called those virgins, and said to them, "Since I see that you are willing to dwell in his house, I commend him and his house to you, asking that you withdraw not at all from it." And the virgins heard these words with pleasure.
CHAPTER IV
The angel then said to me, "Conduct yourself manfully in this service, and make known to every one the great things of God, and you will have favour in this ministry. Whoever, therefore, shall walk in these commandments, shall have life, and will be happy in his life; but whosoever shall neglect them shall not have life, and will be unhappy in this life. Enjoin all, who are able to act rightly, not to cease well-doing; for, to practise good works is useful to them. And I say that every man ought to be saved from inconveniences. For both he who is in want, and he who suffers inconveniences in his daily life, is in great torture and necessity. Whoever, therefore, rescues a soul of this kind from necessity, will gain for himself great joy. For he who is harassed by inconveniences of this kind, suffers equal torture with him who is in chains. Moreover many, on account of calamities of this sort, when they could not endure them, hasten their own deaths. Whoever, then, knows a calamity of this kind afflicting a man, and does not save him, commits a great sin, and becomes guilty of his blood. Do good works, therefore, ye who have received good from the Lord; lest, while ye delay to do them, the building of the tower be finished, and you be rejected from the edifice: there is now no other tower a-building. For on your account was the work of building suspended. Unless, then, you make haste to do rightly, the tower will be completed, and you will be excluded."
After he had spoken with me he rose up from the couch, and taking the Shepherd and the virgins, he departed. But he said to me that he would send back the Shepherd and the virgins to my dwelling. Amen.
First Book: Visions
First Vision
AGAINST FILTHY AND PROUD THOUGHTS, AND THE CARELESSNESS OF HERMAS IN CHASTISING HIS SONS.
CHAPTER I
He who had brought me up, sold me to one Rhode in Rome. Many years after this I recognised her, and I began to love her as a sister. Some time after, I saw her bathe in the river Tiber; and I gave her my hand, and drew her out of the river. The sight of her beauty made me think with myself, "I should be a happy man if I could but get a wife as handsome and good as she is." This was the only thought that passed through me: this and nothing more. A short time after this, as I was walking on my road to the villages, and magnifying the creatures of God, and thinking how magnificent, and beautiful, and powerful they are, I fell asleep. And the Spirit carried me away, and took me through a pathless place, through which a man could not travel, for it was situated in the midst of rocks; it was rugged and impassible on account of water. Having passed over this river, I came to a plain. I then bent down on my knees, and began to pray to the Lord and to confess my sins. And as I prayed, the heavens were opened, and I see the woman whom I had desired saluting me from the sky, and saying, "Hail, Hermas!" And looking up to her, I said, "Lady, what doest thou here?" And she answered me, "I have been taken up here to accuse you of your sins before the Lord." "Lady," said I, "are you to be the subject of my accusation?" "No," said she; "but hear the words which I am going to speak to you. God, who dwells in the heavens, and made out of nothing the things that exist, and multiplied and increased them on account of His holy Church, is angry with you for having sinned against me." I answered her, "Lady, have I sinned against you? How? or when spoke I an unseemly word to you? Did I not always think of you as a lady? Did I not always respect you as a sister? Why do you falsely accuse me of this wickedness and impurity?" With a smile she replied to me, "The desire of wickedness arose within your heart. Is it not your opinion that a righteous man commits sin when an evil desire arises in his heart? There is sin in such a case, and the sin is great," said she; "for the thoughts of a righteous man should be righteous. For by thinking righteously his character is established in the heavens, and he has the Lord merciful to him in every business. But those who entertain wicked thoughts in their minds are bringing upon themselves death and captivity; and especially is this the case with those who set their affections on this world, and glory in their riches, and look not forward to the blessings of the life to come. For many will their regrets be; for they have no hope, but have despaired of themselves and their life. But do thou pray to God, and He will heal thy sins, and the sins of thy whole house, and of all the saints."
CHAPTER II.
After she had spoken these words, the heavens were shut. I was overwhelmed with sorrow and fear, and said to myself, "If this sin is assigned to me, how can I be saved, or how shall I propitiate God in regard to my sins, which are of the grossest character? With what words shall I ask the Lord to be merciful to me? While I was thinking over these things, and discussing them in my mind, I saw opposite to me a chair, white, made of white wool, of great size. And there came up an old woman, arrayed in a splendid robe, and with a book in her hand; and she sat down alone, and saluted me, "Hail, Hermas!" And in sadness and tears I said to her, "Lady, hail!" And she said to me, "Why are you downcast, Hermas? for you were wont to be patient and temperate, and always smiling. Why are you so gloomy, and not cheerful?
I answered her and said, "O Lady, I have been reproached by a very good woman, who says that I sinned against her." And she said, "Far be such a deed from a servant of God. But perhaps a desire after her has arisen within your heart. Such a wish, in the case of the servants of God, produces sin. For it is a wicked and horrible wish in an all-chaste and already well-tried spirit to desire an evil deed; and especially for Hermas so to do, who keeps himself from all wicked desire, and is full of all simplicity, and of great guilelessness.
CHAPTER III.
"But God is not angry with you on account of this, but that you may convert your house, which have committed iniquity against the Lord, and against you, their parents. And although you love your sons, yet did you not warn your house, but permitted them to be terribly corrupted. On this account is the Lord angry with you, but He will heal all the evils which have been done in your house. For, on account of their sins and iniquities, you have been destroyed by the affairs of this world. But now the mercy of the Lord has taken pity on you and your house, and will strengthen you, and establish you in his glory. Only be not easy-minded, but be of good courage and comfort your house. For as a smith hammers out his work, and accomplishes whatever he wishes," so shall righteous daily speech overcome all iniquity. Cease not therefore to admonish your sons; for I know that, if they will repent with all their heart, they will be enrolled in the Books of Life with the saints." Having ended these words, she said to me, "Do you wish to hear me read?" I say to her, "Lady, I do." "Listen then, and give ear to the glories of God." And then I heard from her, magnificently and admirably, things which my memory could not retain. For all the words were terrible, such as man could not endure. The last words, however, I did remember; for they were useful to us, and gentle. "Lo, the God of powers, who by His invisible strong power and great wisdom has created the world, and by His glorious counsel has surrounded His creation with beauty, and by His strong word has fixed the heavens and laid the foundations of the earth upon the waters, and by His own wisdom and providence has created His holy Church, which He has blessed, lo! He removes the heavens and the mountains, the hills and the seas, and all things become plain to His elect, that He may bestow on them the blessing which He has promised them, with much glory and joy, if only they shall keep the commandments of God which they have received in great faith."
CHAPTER IV.
When she had ended her reading, she rose from the chair, and four young men came and carried off the chair and went away to the east. And she called me to herself and touched my breast, and said to me," Have you been pleased with my reading?" And I say to her, "Lady, 11
the last words please me, but the first are cruel and harsh." Then she said to me, "The last are for the righteous: the first are for heathens and apostates." And while she spoke to me, two men appeared and raised her on their shoulders, and they went to where the chair was in the east. With joyful countenance did she depart; and as she went, she said to me, "Behave like a man, Hermas."
Second Vision
AGAIN, OF HIS NEGLECT IN CHASTISING HIS TALKATIVE WIFE AND HIS LUSTFUL SONS, AND OF HIS CHARACTER.
CHAPTER I.
As I was going to the country about the same time as on the previous year, in my walk I recalled to memory the vision of that year. And again the Spirit carried me away, and took me to the same place where I had been the year before. On coming to that place, I bowed my knees and began to pray to the Lord, and to glorify His name, because He had deemed me worthy, and had made known to me my former sins. On rising from prayer, I see opposite me that old woman, whom I had seen the year before, walking and reading some book. And she says to me, "Can you carry a report of these things to the elect of God?" I say to her, "Lady, so much I cannot retain in my memory, but give me the book and I shall transcribe it." "Take it," says she, "and you will give it back to me." Thereupon I took it, and going away into a certain part of the country, I transcribed the whole of it letter by letter; but the syllables of it I did not catch. No sooner, however, had I finished the writing of the book, than all of a sudden it was snatched from my hands; but who the person was that snatched it, I saw not.
CHAPTER II.
Fifteen days after, when I had fasted and prayed much to the Lord, the knowledge of the writing was revealed to me. Now the writing was to this effect: "Your seed, O Hermas, has sinned against God, and they have blasphemed against the Lord, and in their great wickedness they have betrayed their parents. And they passed as traitors of their parents, and by their treachery did they not reap profit. And even now they have added to their sins lusts and iniquitous pollutions, and thus their iniquities have, been filled up. But make known these words to all your children, and to your wife, who is to be your sister. For she does not restrain her tongue, with which she commits iniquity; but, on hearing these words, she will control herself, and will obtain mercy. For after you have made known to them these words which my Lord has commanded me to reveal to you, then shall they be forgiven all the sins which in former times they committed, and forgiveness will be granted to all the saints who have sinned even to the present day, if they repent with all their heart, and drive all doubts from their minds. For the Lord has sworn by His glory, in regard to His elect, that if any one of them sin after a certain day which has been fixed, he shall not be saved. For the repentance of the righteous has limits. Filled up are the days of repentance to all the saints; but to the heathen, repentance will be possible even to the last day. You will tell, therefore, those who preside over the Church, to direct their ways in righteousness, that they may receive in full the promises with great glory. Stand stedfast, therefore, ye who work righteous, ness, and doubt not, that your passage may be with the holy angels. Happy ye who endure the great tribulation that is coming on, and happy they who shall not deny their own life. For the Lord hath sworn by His Son, that those who denied their Lord have abandoned their life in despair, for even now these are to deny Him in the days that are coming. To those who denied in earlier times, God became gracious, on account of His exceeding tender mercy.
CHAPTER III.
"But as for you, Hermas, remember not the wrongs done to you by your children, nor neglect your sister, that they may be cleansed from their former sins. For they will be instructed with righteous instruction, if you remember not the wrongs they have done you. For the remembrance of wrongs worketh death. And you, Henna, have endured great personal tribulations on account of the transgressions of your house, because you did not attend to them, but were careless and engaged in your wicked transactions. But you are saved, because you did not depart from the living God, and on account of your simplicity and great self-control. These have saved you, if you remain stedfast. And they will save all who act in the same manner, and walk in guilelessness and simplicity. Those who possess such virtues will wax strong against every form of wickedness, and will abide unto eternal life. Blessed are all they who practise righteousness, for they shall never be destroyed. Now you will tell Maximus: Lo! tribulation cometh on. If it seemeth good to thee, deny again. The Lord is near to them who return unto Him, as it is written in Eldad and Modat, who prophesied to the people in the wilderness."
CHAPTER IV.
Now a revelation was given to me, my brethren, while I slept, by a young man of comely appearance, who said to me, "Who do you think that old woman is from whom you received the book?" And I said, "The Sibyl." "You are in a mistake," says he; "it is not the Sibyl." "Who is it then?" say I. And he said, "It is the Church." And I said to him, "Why then is she an old woman? "Because," said he, "she was created first of all. On this account is she old. And for her sake was the world made." After that I saw a vision in my house, and that old woman came and asked me, if I had yet given the book to the presbyters. And I said that I had not. And then she said, "You have done well for I have some words to add. But when I finish all the words, all the elect will then become acquainted with them through you. You will write therefore two books, and you will send the one to Clemens and the other to Grapte. And Clemens will send his to foreign countries, for permission has been granted to him to do so. And Grapte will admonish the widows and the orphans. But you will read the words in this city, along with the presbyters who preside over the Church.
Third Vision
CONCERNING THE BUILDING OF THE TRIUMPHANT CHURCH, AND THE VARIOUS CLASSES OF REPROBATE MEN.
CHAPTER I.
The vision which I saw, my brethren, was of the following nature. Having fasted frequently, and having prayed to the Lord that He would show me the revelation which He promised to show me through that old woman, the same night that old woman appeared to me, and said to me, "Since you are so anxious and eager to know all things, go into the part of the country where you tarry; and about the fifth hour I shall appear unto you, and show you all that you ought to see." I asked her, saying "Lady, into what part of the country am I to go?" And she said, "Into any part you wish." Then I chose a spot which was suitable, and retired. Before, however, I began to speak and to mention the place, she said to me, "I will come where you wish." Accordingly, I went to the country, and counted the hours, and reached the place where I, had promised to meet her. And I see an ivory seat ready placed, and on it a linen cushion, and above the linen cushion was spread a covering of fine linen. Seeing these laid out, and yet no one in the place, I began to feel awe, and as it were a trembling seized hold of me, and my hair stood on end, and as it were a horror came upon me when I saw that I was all alone. But on coming back to myself and calling to mind the glory of God, I took courage, bent my knees, and again confessed my sins to God as I had done before. Whereupon the old woman approached, accompanied by six young men whom I had also seen before; and she stood behind me, and listened to me, as I prayed and confessed my sins to the Lord. And touching me she said, "Hermas, cease praying continually for your sins; pray for righteousness, that you may 13
have a portion of it immediately in your house." On this, she took me up by the hand, and brought me to the seat, and said to the young men, "Go and build." When the young men had gone and we were alone, she said to me, "Sit here." I say to her, "Lady, 'permit my elders to be seated first." "Do what I bid you," said she; "sit down." When I would have sat down on her right, she did not permit me, but with her hand beckoned to me to sit down on the left. While I was thinking about this, and feeling vexed that she did not let me sit on the right, she said, "Are you vexed, Hermas? The place to the right is for others who have already pleased God, and have suffered for His name's sake; and you have yet much to accomplish before you can sit with them. But abide as you now do in your simplicity, and you will sit with them, and with all who do their deeds and bear what they have borne."
CHAPTER II.
"What have they borne?" said I. "Listen," said she: "scourges, prisons, great tribulations, crosses, wild beasts, for God's name's sake. On this account is assigned to them the division of santification on the right hand, and to every one who shall suffer for God's name: to the rest is assigned the division on the left. But both for those who sit on the right, and those who sit on the left, there are the same gifts and promises; only those sit on the right, and have some glory. You then are eager to sit on the right with them, but your shortcomings are many. But you will be cleansed from your shortcomings; and all who are not given to doubts shall be cleansed from all their iniquities up till this day." Saying this, she wished to go away. But falling down at her feet, I begged her by the Lord that she would show me the vision which she had promised to show me. And then she again took hold of me by the hand, and raised me, and made me sit on the seat to the left; and lifting up a splendid rod, she said to me, "Do you see something great?" And I say, "Lady, I see nothing." She said to me, "Lo! do you not see opposite to you a great tower, built upon the waters, of splendid square stones?" For the tower was built square by those six young men who had come with her. But myriads of men were carrying stones to it, some dragging them from the depths, others removing them from the land, and they handed them to these six young men. They were taking them and building; and those. of the stones that were dragged out of the depths, they placed in the building just as they were: for they were polished and fitted exactly into the other stones, and became so united one with another that the lines of juncture could not be perceived. And in this way the building of the tower looked as if it were made out of one stone. Those stones, however, which were taken from the earth suffered a different fate; for the young men rejected some of them, some they fitted into the building, and some they cut down, and cast far away from the tower. Many other stones, however, lay around the tower, and the young men did not use them in building; for some of them were rough, others had cracks in them, others had been made too short, and others were white and round, but did not fit into the building of the tower. Moreover, I saw other stones thrown far away from the tower, and falling into the public road; yet they did not remain on the road, but were rolled into a pathless place. And I saw others falling into the fire and burning, others falling close to the water, and yet not capable of being rolled into the water, though they wished to be rolled down, and to enter the water.
CHAPTER III.
On showing me these visions, she wished to retire. I said to her, "What is the use of my having seen all this, while I do not know what it means?" She said to me, "You are a cunning fellow, wishing to know everything that relates to the tower." "Even so, O Lady," said I, "that I may tell it to my brethren, that, hearing this, they may know the Lord in much glory." And she said, "Many indeed shall hear, and hearing, some shall be glad, and some shall weep. But even these, if they hear and repent, shall also rejoice. Hear, then, the parables of the tower; for I will reveal all to you, and give me no more trouble in regard to revelation: for these revelations have an end, for they have been completed. But you will not cease praying for revelations, for you are shameless. The tower which you see building is myself, the Church, who have appeared to you now and on the former occasion. Ask, then, whatever you like in regard to the tower, and I will reveal it to you, that you may rejoice with the saints." I said unto her, "Lady, since you have vouchsafed to reveal all to me this once, reveal it." She said to me, "Whatsoever ought to be revealed, will be revealed; only let your heart be with God, and doubt not whatsoever you shall see."
14
I asked her, "Why was the tower built upon the waters, O Lady?" She answered, "I told you before, and you still inquire carefully: therefore inquiring you shall find the truth. Hear then why the tower is built upon the waters. It is because your life has been, and will be, saved through water. For the tower was founder on the word of the almighty and glorious Name and it is kept together by the invisible power of the Lord."
CHAPTER IV.
In reply I said to her, "This is magnificent and marvellous. But who are the six young men who are engaged in building?" And she said, "These are the holy angels of God, who were first created, and to whom the Lord handed over His whole creation, that they might increase and build up and rule over the whole creation. By these will the building of the tower be finished." "But who are the other persons who are engaged in carrying the stones?" These also are holy angels of the Lord, but the former six are more excellent than these. The building of the tower will be finished, and all will rejoice together around the tower, and they will glorify God, because the tower is finished." I asked her, saying, "Lady, I should like to know what became of the stones, and what was meant by the various kinds of stones?" In reply she said to me, "Not because you are more deserving than all others that this revelation should be made to you--for there are others before you, and better than you, to whom these visions should have been revealed--but that the name of God may be glorified, has the revelation been made to you, and it will be made on account of the doubtful who ponder in their hearts whether these things will be or not. Tell them that all these things are true, and that none of them is beyond the truth. All of them are firm and sure, and established on a strong foundation.
CHAPTER V.
"Hear now with regard to the stones which are in the building. Those square white stones which fitted exactly into each other, are apostles, bishops, teachers, and deacons, who have lived in godly purity, and have acted as bishops and teachers and deacons chastely and reverently to the elect of God. Some of them have fallen asleep, and some still remain alive. And they have always agreed with each other, and been at peace among themselves, and listened to each other. On account of this, they join exactly into the building of the tower." "But who are the stones that were dragged from the depths, and which were laid into the building and fitted in with the rest of the stones previously placed in the tower?" "They are those who suffered for the Lord's sake." "But I wish to know, O Lady, who are the other stones which were carried from the land." "Those," she said, "which go into the building without being polished, are those whom God has approved of, for they walked in the straight ways of the Lord and practised His commandments." "But who are those who are in the act of being brought and placed in the building?" "They are those who are young in faith and are faithful. But they are admonished by the angels to do good, for no iniquity has been found in them." "Who then are those whom they rejected and cast away?" "These are they who have sinned, and wish to repent. On this account they have not been thrown far from the tower, because they will yet be useful in the building, if they repent. Those then who are to repent, if they do repent, will be strong in faith, if they now repent while the tower is building. For if the building be finished, there will not be more room for any one, but he will be rejected. This privilege, however, will belong only to him who has now been placed near the tower.
CHAPTER VI.
"As to those who were cut down and thrown far away from the tower, do you wish to know who they are? They are the sons of iniquity, and they believed in hypocrisy, and wickedness did not depart from them. For this reason they are not saved, since they cannot be used in the building on account of their iniquities. Wherefore they have been cut off and cast far away on account of the anger of the Lord, for they have roused Him to anger. But I shall explain to you the other stones which you saw lying in great numbers, and not going into the building. Those which are rough are those who have known the truth and not remained in it, nor have they been joined to the saints. On this account are they unfit for use." "Who are those that have rents?" "These are they who are at discord in their hearts one with another, and are not at peace amongst themselves: they indeed keep peace before each other, but when they separate one from the other, their wicked thoughts remain in 15
their hearts. These, then, are the rents which are in the stones. But those which are shortened are those who have indeed believed, and have the larger share of righteousness; yet they have also a considerable share of iniquity, and therefore they are shortened and not whole." "But who are these, Lady, that are white and round, and yet do not fit into the building of the tower?" She answered and said, "How long will you be foolish and stupid, and continue to put every kind of question and understand nothing? These are those who have faith indeed, but they have also the riches of this world. When, therefore, tribulation comes, on account of their riches and business they deny the Lord." I answered and said to her, "When, then, will they be useful for the building, Lady?"When the riches that now seduce them have been circumscribed, then will they be of use to God. For as a round stone cannot become square unless portions be cut off and cast away, so also those who are rich in this world cannot be useful to the Lord unless their riches be cut down. Learn this first from your own case. When you were rich, you were useless; but now you are useful and fit for life. Be ye useful to God; for you also will be used as one of these stones.
CHAPTER VII,
"Now the other stones which you saw cast far away from the tower, and falling upon the public road and rolling from it into pathless places, are those who have indeed believed, but through doubt have abandoned the true road. Thinking, then, that they could find a better, they wander and become wretched, and enter upon pathless places. But those which fell into the fire and were burned? are those who have departed for ever from the living God; nor does the thought of repentance ever come into their hearts, on account of their devotion to their lusts and to the crimes which they committed. Do you wish to know who are the others which fell near the waters, but could not be rolled into them? These are they who have heard the word, and wish to be baptized in the name of the Lord; but when the chastity demanded by the truth comes into their recollection, they draw back, and again walk after their own wicked desires." She finished her exposition of the tower. But I, shameless as I yet was, asked her, "Is repentance possible for all those stones which have been cast away and did not fit into the building of the tower, and will they yet have a place in this tower?" "Repentance," said she, "is yet possible, but in this tower they cannot find a suitable place. But in another and much inferior place they will be laid, and that, too, only when they have been tortured and completed the days of their sins. And on this account will they be transferred, because they have partaken of the righteous Word. And then only will they be removed from their punishments when the thought of repenting of the evil deeds which they have done has come into their hearts. But if it does not come into their hearts, they will not be saved, on account of the hardness of their heart."
CHAPTER VIII.
When then I ceased asking in regard to all these matters, she said to me, "Do you wish to see anything else?" And as I was extremely eager to see something more, my countenance beamed with joy. She looked towards me with a smile, and said, "Do you see seven women around the tower?" "I do, Lady," said I. "This tower," said she, "is supported by them according to the precept of the Lord. Listen now to their functions. The first of them, who is clasping her hands, is called Faith. Through her the elect of God are saved? Another, who has her garments tucked up and acts with vigour, is called Self-restraint. She is the daughter of Faith. Whoever then follows her will become happy in his life, because he will restrain himself from all evil works, believing that, if he restrain himself from all evil desire, he will inherit eternal life." "But the others," said I, "O Lady, who are they?" And she said to me, "They are daughters of each other. One of them is called Simplicity, another Guilelessness, another Chastity, another Intelligence, another Love. When then you do all the works of their mother, you will be able to live." "I should like to know," said I, "O Lady, what power each one of them possesses." "Hear," she said, "what power they have. Their powers are regulated by each other, and follow each other in the 16
order of their birth. For from Faith arises Self-restraint; from Self-restraint, Simplicity; from Simplicity, Guilelessness; from Guilelessness, Chastity; from Chastity, Intelligence; and from Intelligence, Love. The deeds, then, of these are pure, and chaste, and divine. Whoever devotes himself to these, and is able to hold fast by their works, shall have his dwelling in the tower with the saints of God." Then I asked her in regard to the ages, if now there is the conclusion. She cried out with a loud voice, "Foolish man! do you not see the tower yet building? When the tower is finished and built, then comes the end; and I assure you it will be soon finished. Ask me no more questions. Let you and all the saints be content with what I have called to your remembrance, and with my renewal of your spirits.
But observe that it is not for your own sake only that these revelations have been made to you, but they have been given you that you may show them to all.
For after three days--this you will take care to remember--I Command you to speak all the words which I am to say to you into the ears of the saints, that hearing them and doing them, they may be cleansed from their iniquities, and you along with them."
CHAPTER IX.
Give ear unto me, O Sons: I have brought you up in much simplicity, and guilelessness, and chastity, on account of the mercy of the Lord, who has dropped His righteousness down upon you, that ye may be made righteous and holy from all your iniquity and depravity; but you do not wish to rest from your iniquity. Now, therefore, listen to me, and be at peace one with another, and visit each other, and bear each other's burdens, and do not partake of God's creatures alone, but give abundantly of them to the needy. For some through the abundance of their food produce weakness in their flesh, and thus corrupt their flesh; while the flesh of others who have no food is corrupted, because they have not sufficient nourishment. And on this account their bodies waste away. This intemperance in eating is thus injurious to you who have abundance and do not distribute among those who are needy. Give heed to the judgment that is to come. Ye, therefore, who are high in position, seek out the hungry as long as the tower is not yet finished; for after the tower is finished, you will wish to do good, but will find no opportunity. Give heed, therefore, ye who glory in your wealth, lest those who are needy should groan, and their groans should ascend to the Lord, and ye be shut out with all your goods beyond the gate of the tower. Wherefore I now say to you who preside over the Church and love the first seats, "Be not like to drug-mixers. For the drug-mixers carry their drugs in boxes, but ye carry your drug and poison m your heart. Ye are hardened, and do not wish to cleanse your hearts, and to add unity of aim to purity of heart, that you may have mercy from the great King. Take heed, therefore, children, that these dissensions of yours do not deprive you of your life. How will you instruct the elect of the Lord, if you yourselves have not instruction? Instruct each other therefore, and be at peace among yourselves, that I also, standing joyful before your Father, may give an account of you all to your Lord."
CHAPTER X.
On her ceasing to speak to me, those six young men who were engaged in building came and conveyed her to the tower, and other four lifted up the seat and carried it also to the tower. The faces of these last I did not see, for they were turned away from me. And as she was going, I asked her to reveal to me the meaning of the three forms in which she appeared to me. In reply she said to me: "With regard to them, you must ask another to reveal their meaning to you." For she had appeared to me, brethren, in the first vision the previous year under the form of an exceedingly old woman, sitting in a chair. In the second vision her face was youthful, but her skin and hair betokened age, and she stood while she spoke to me. She was also more joyful than on the first occasion. But in the third vision she was entirely youthful and exquisitely beautiful, except only that she had the hair of an old woman; but her face beamed with joy, and she sat on a seat. Now I was exceeding sad in regard to these appearances, for I longed much to know what the visions meant. Then I see the old woman in a vision of the night saying unto me: "Every prayer should be accompanied with humility: fast, therefore, and you will obtain from the Lord what you beg." I fasted therefore for one day.
That very night there appeared to me a young man, who said, "Why do you frequently ask revelations in prayer? Take heed lest by asking many things you injure your flesh: be content 17
with these revelations. Will you be able to see greater' revelations than those which you have seen?" I answered and said to him, "Sir, one thing only I ask, that in regard to these three forms the revelation may be rendered complete." He answered me, "How long are ye senseless? But your doubts make you senseless, because you have not your hearts turned towards the Lord." But I answered and said to him, "From you, sir, we shall learn these things more accurately."
CHAPTER XI.
"Hear then," said he, "with regard to the three forms, concerning which you are inquiring. Why in the first vision did she appear to you as an old woman seated on a chair? Because your spirit is now old and withered up, and has lost its power in consequence of your infirmities and doubts. For, like elderly men who have no hope of renewing their strength, and expect nothing but their last sleep, so you, weakened by worldly occupations, have given yourselves up to sloth, and have not cast your cares upon the Lord. Your spirit therefore is broken, and you have grown old in your sorrows." "I should like then to know, sir, why she sat on a chair?" He answered, "Because every weak person sits on a chair on account of his weakness, that his weakness may be sustained. Lo! you have the form of the first vision.
CHAPTER XII.
"Now in the second vision you saw her standing with a youthful countenance, and more joyful than before; still she had the skin and hair of an aged woman. Hear," said he, "this parable also. When one becomes somewhat old, he despairs of himself on account of his weakness and poverty, and looks forward to nothing but the last day of his life. Then suddenly an inheritance is left him: and hearing of this, he rises up, and becoming exceeding joyful, he puts on strength. And now he no longer reclines, but stands up; and his spirit, already destroyed by his previous actions, is renewed, and he no longer sits, but acts with vigour. So happened it with you on hearing the revelation which God gave you. For the Lord had compassion on you, and renewed your spirit, and ye laid aside your infirmities. Vigour arose within you, and ye grew strong in faith; and the Lord, seeing your strength, rejoiced. On this account He showed you the building of the tower; and He will show you other things, if you continue at peace with each other with all your heart.
CHAPTER XIII.
"Now, in the third vision, you saw her still younger, and she was noble and joyful, and her shape was beautiful. For, just as when some good news comes suddenly to one who is sad, immediately he forgets his former sorrows, and looks for nothing else than the good news which he has heard, and for the future is made strong for good, and his spirit is renewed on account of the joy which he has received; so ye also have received the renewal of your spirits by seeing these good things. As to your seeing her sitting on a seat, that means that her position is one of strength, for a seat has four feet and stands firmly. For the world also is kept together by means of four elements. Those, therefore, who repent completely and with the whole heart, will become young and firmly established. You now have the revelation completely given you? Make no further demands for revelations. If anything ought to be revealed, it will be revealed to you."
Fourth Vision
CONCERNING THE TRIAL AND TRIBULATION THAT ARE TO COME UPON MEN.
CHAPTER I.
Twenty days after the former vision I saw another vision, brethren --a representation of the tribulation that is to come. I was going to a country house along the Campanian road. Now the house lay about ten furlongs from the public road. The district is one rarely traversed. And as I walked alone, I prayed the Lord to complete the revelations which He had made to me through His holy Church, that He might strengthen me, and give repentance to all His servants who were going astray, that His great and glorious name might be glorified because He vouchsafed to show me His marvels. And while I was glorifying Him and giving Him thanks, a voice, as it were, answered me, "Doubt not, Hermas;" and I began to think with myself, and to say, "What reason have I to doubt--I who have been established by the Lord, and who have seen such glorious sights?" I advanced a little, brethren, and, lo! I see dust rising even to the heavens. I began to say to myself, "Are cattle approaching and raising the dust?" It was about a furlong's distance from me. And, 18
lo! I see the dust rising more and more, so that I imagined that it was something sent from God. But the sun now shone out a little, and, lo! I see a mighty beast like a whale, and out of its mouth fiery locusts proceeded. But the size of that beast was about a hundred feet, and it had a head like an urn. I began to weep, and to call on the Lord to rescue me from it. Then I remembered the word which I had heard, "Doubt not, O Hermas." Clothed, therefore, my brethren, with faith in the Lord? and remembering the great things which He had taught me, I boldly faced the beast. Now that beast came on with such noise and force, that it could itself have destroyed a city. I came near it, and the monstrous beast stretched itself out on the ground, and showed nothing but its tongue, and did not stir at all until I had passed by it. Now the beast had four colours on its head-black, then fiery and bloody, then golden, and lastly white.
CHAPTER II.
Now after I had passed by the wild beast, and had moved forward about thirty feet, lo! a virgin meets me, adorned as if she were proceeding from the bridal chamber, clothed entirely in white, and with white sandals, and veiled up to her forehead, and her head was covered by a hood.s And she had white hair. I knew from my former visions that this was the Church, and I became more joyful. She saluted me, and said, "Hail, O man!" And I returned her salutation, and said, "Lady, hail!" And she answered. and said to me, "Has nothing crossed your path?" I say, "I was met by a beast of such a size that it could destroy peoples, but through the power of the Lord and His great mercy I escaped from it." "Well did you escape from it," says she, "because you cast your care on God, and opened your heart to the Lord, believing that you can be saved by no other than by His great and glorious name. On this account the Lord has sent His angel, who has rule over the beasts, and whose name is Thegri, and has shut up its mouth, so that it cannot tear you. You have escaped from great tribulation on account of your faith, and because you did not doubt in the presence of such a beast. Go, therefore, and tell the elect of the Lord His mighty deeds, and say to them that this beast is a type of the great tribulation that is coming. If then ye prepare yourselves, and repent with all your heart, and turn to the Lord, it will be possible for you to escape it, if your heart be pure and spotless, and ye spend the rest of the days of your life in serving the Lord blamelessly. Cast your cares upon the Lord, and He will direct them. Trust the Lord, ye who doubt, for He is all-powerful, and can turn His anger away from you, and send scourges" on the doubters. Woe to those who hear these words, and despise them: better were it for them not to have been born."
CHAPTER III.
I asked her about the four colours which the beast had on his head. And she answered, and said to me, "Again you are inquisitive in regard to such matters." "Yea, Lady, said I, "make known to me what they are." "Listen,"
said she: "the black is the world in which we dwell: but the fiery and bloody points out that the world must perish through blood and fire: but the golden part are you who have escaped from this world. For as gold is tested by fire, and thus becomes useful, so are you tested who dwell in it. Those, therefore, who continue stedfast, and are put through the fire, will be purified by means of it. For as gold casts away its dross, so also will ye cast away all sadness and straitness, and will be made pure so as to fit into the building of the tower. But the white part is the age that is to come, in which the elect of God will dwell, since those elected by God to eternal life will be spotless and pure. Wherefore cease not speaking these things into the ears of the saints. This then is the type of the great tribulation that is to come. If ye wish it, it will be nothing. Remember those things which were written down before." And saying this, she departed. But I saw not into what place she retired. There was a noise, however, and I turned round in alarm, thinking that that beast was coming.
Fifth Vision
CONCERNING THE COMMANDMENTS.
After I had been praying at home, and had sat down on my couch, there entered a man of glorious aspect, dressed like a shepherd, with a white goat's skin, a wallet on his shoulders, and a rod in his hand, and saluted me. I returned his salutation. And straightway he sat down beside me, and said to me, "I have been sent by a most venerable angel to dwell with you the remaining days of your life." And I thought that he had come to tempt me, and I said to him, "Who are you? For I know him to whom I have been entrusted." He said to me, "Do you not know me?" "No," said I. "I," said he, "am that shepherd to whom you have been entrusted." And as he was speaking, his figure was changed; and then I knew that it was he to whom I had been entrusted. And straightway I became confused, and fear took hold of me, and I was overpowered with deep sorrow that I had answered him so wickedly and foolishly. But he answered, and said to me, "Do not be confounded, but receive strength from the commandments which I am going to give you. For I have been sent," said he, "to show you again all the things which you saw before, especially those of them which are useful to you. First of all, then, write down my commandments and similitudes, and you will write the other things as I shall show you. For this purpose," said he, "I command you to write down the commandments and similitudes first, that you may read them easily, and be able to keep them." Accordingly I wrote down the commandments and similitudes, exactly as he had ordered me. If then, when you have heard these, ye keep them and walk in them, and practise them with pure minds, you will receive from the Lord all that He has promised to you. But if, after you have heard them, ye do not repent, but continue to add to your sins, then shall ye receive from the Lord the opposite things. All these words did the shepherd, even the angel of repentance, command me to write.
Second Book: Commandments
First Commandment
ON FAITH IN GOD.
FIRST Of all, believe that there is one God who created and finished all things, and made all things out of nothing. He alone is able to contain the whole, but Himself cannot be contained. Have faith therefore in Him, and fear Him; and fearing Him, exercise self-control. Keep these commands, and you will cast away from you all wickedness, and put on the strength of righteousness, and live to God, if you keep this commandment.
Second Commandment
ON AVOIDING EVIL-SPEAKING, AND ON GIVING ALMS IN SIMPLICITY.
He said to me, "Be simple and guileless, and you will be as the children who know not the wickedness that ruins the life of men. First, then, speak evil of no one, nor listen with pleasure to any one who speaks evil of another. But if you listen, you will partake of the sin of him who speaks evil, if you believe the slander which you hear; for believing it, you will also have something to say against your brother. Thus, then, will you be guilty of the sin of him who slanders. For slander is evil and an unsteady demon. It never abides in peace, but always remains in discord. Keep yourself from it, and you will always be at peace with all. Put on a holiness in which there is no wicked cause of offence, but all deeds that are equable and joyful. Practise goodness; and from the rewards of your labours, which God gives you, give to all the needy in simplicity, not hesitating as to whom you are to give or not to give. Give to all, for God wishes His gifts to be shared amongst all. They who receive, will render an account to God why and for what they have received. For the afflicted who receive will not be condemned, but they who receive on false pretences will suffer punishment. He, then, who gives is guiltless. For as he received from the Lord, so has he accomplished his service in simplicity, not hesitating as to whom he should give and to whom he should not give. This service, then, if accomplished in simplicity, is glorious with God. He, therefore, who thus ministers in simplicity, will live to God. Keep therefore these commandments, as I have given them to you, that your repentance and the repentance of your house may be found in simplicity, and your heart may be pure and stainless."
Third Commandment
ON AVOIDING FALSEHOOD, AND ON THE REPENTANCE OF HERMAS FOR HIS DISSIMULATION.
Again he said to me, "Love the truth, and let nothing but truth proceed from your mouth, that the spirit which God has placed in your flesh may be found truthful before all men; and the Lord, who dwelleth in you, will be glorified, because the Lord is truthful in every word, and in Him is no falsehood. They therefore who lie deny the Lord, and rob Him, not giving back to Him the deposit which they have received. For they received from Him a spirit free from falsehood. If they give him back this spirit untruthful, they pollute the commandment of the Lord, and become robbers." On hearing these words, I wept most violently. When he saw me weeping, he said to me, "Why do you weep?" And I said, "Because, sir, I know not if I can be saved." "Why?" said he. And I said, "Because, sir, I never spake a true word in my life, but have ever spoken cunningly to all, and have affirmed a lie for the truth to all; and no one ever contradicted me, but credit was given to my word. How then can I live, since I have acted thus?" And he said to me, "Your feelings are indeed right and sound, for you ought as a servant of God to have walked in truth, and not to have joined an evil conscience with the spirit of truth, nor to have caused sadness to the holy and true Spirit." s And I said to him, "Never, sir, did I listen to these words with so much attention." And he said to me, "Now you hear them, and keep them, that even the falsehoods which you formerly told in your transactions may come to be believed through the truthfulness of your present statements. For even they can become worthy of credit. If you keep these precepts, and from this time forward you speak nothing but the truth, it will be possible for you to obtain life. And whosoever shall hear this commandment, and depart from that great wickedness falsehood, shall live to God."
Fourth Commandment
ON PUTTING ONE'S WIFE AWAY FOR ADULTERY.
CHAPTER I.
"I charge you," said he, "to guard your chastity, and let no thought enter your heart of another man's wife, or of fornication, or of similar iniquities; for by doing this you commit a great sin. But if you always remember your own wife, you will never sin. For if this thought enter your heart, then you will sin; and if, in like manner, you think other wicked thoughts, you commit sin. For this thought is great sin in a servant of God. But if any one commit this wicked deed, he works death for himself. Attend, therefore, and refrain from this thought; for where purity dwells, there iniquity ought not to enter the heart of a righteous man." I said to him, "Sir, permit me to ask you a few questions." "Say on," said he. And I said to him, "Sir, if any one has a wife who trusts in the Lord, and if he detect her in adultery, does the man sin if he continue to live with her?" And he said to me, "As long as he remains ignorant of her sin, the husband commits no transgression in living with her. But if the husband know that his wife has gone astray, and if the woman does not repent, but persists in her fornication, and yet the husband continues to live with her, he also is guilty of her crime, and a sharer in her adultery." And I said to him, "What then, sir, is the husband to do, if his wife continue in her vicious practices?" And he said, "The husband should put her away, and remain by himself. But if he put his wife away and marry another, he also commits adultery." And I said to him, "What if the woman put away should repent, and wish to return to her husband: shall she not be taken back by her husband?" And he said to me, "Assuredly. If the husband do not take her back, he sins, and brings a great sin upon himself; for he ought to take back the sinner who has repented. But not frequently. For there is but one repentance to the servants of God. In case, therefore, that the divorced wife may repent, the husband ought not to marry another, when his wife has been put away. In this matter man and woman are to be treated exactly in the same way. Moreover, adultery is committed not only by those who pollute their flesh, but by those who imitate the heathen in their actions." Wherefore if any one persists in such deeds, and repents not, withdraw from him, and cease to live with him. Otherwise you are a sharer in his sin. Therefore has the injunction been laid on you, that you should remain by yourselves, both man and woman, for in such persons repentance can take place. But I do not," said he, "give opportunity for the doing of these deeds, but that he who has sinned may sin no more. But with regard to his previous transgressions, there is One who is able to provide a cure; for it is He, indeed, who has power over all."
CHAPTER II.
I asked him again, and said, "Since the Lord has vouchsafed to dwell always with me, hear with me while I utter a few words; for I understand nothing, and my heart has been hardened by my previous mode of life. Give me understanding, for I am exceedingly dull, and I understand absolutely nothing." And he answered and said unto me, "I am set over repentance, and I give understanding to all who repent. Do you not think," he said, "that it is great wisdom to repent? for repentance is great wisdom. For he who has sinned understands that he acted wickedly in the sight of the Lord, and remembers the actions he has done, and he repents, and no longer acts wickedly, but does good munificently, and humbles and torments his soul because he has sinned. You see, therefore, that repentance is great wisdom." And I said to him, "It is for this reason, sir, that I inquire carefully into all things, especially because I am a sinner; that I may know what works I should do, that I may live: for my sins are many and various." And he said to me, "You shall live if you keep my commandments, and walk in them; and whosoever shall hear and keep these commandments, shall live to God."
CHAPTER III.
And I said to him, "I should like to continue my questions." "Speak on," said he. And I said, "I heard, sir, some teachers maintain that there is no other repentance than that which takes place, when we descended into the water and received remission of our former sins." He said to me, "That was sound doctrine which you heard; for that is really the case. For he who has received remission of his sins ought not to sin any more, but to live in purity. Since, however, you inquire diligently into all things, I will point this also out to you, not as giving occasion for error to those who are to believe, or have lately believed, in the Lord. For those who have now believed, and those who are to believe, have not repentance for their sins; but they have remission of their previous sins. For to those who have been called before these days, the Lord has set repentance. For the Lord, knowing the heart, and foreknowing all things, knew the weakness of men and the manifold wiles of the devil, that he would inflict some evil on the servants of God, and would act wickedly towards them. The Lord, therefore, being merciful, has had mercy on the work of His hand, and has set repentance for them; and He has entrusted to me power over this repentance. And therefore I say to you, that if any one is tempted by the devil, and sins after that great and holy calling. in which the Lord has called His people to everlasting life, he has opportunity to repent but once. But if he should sin frequently after this, and then repent, to such a man his repentance will be of no avail; for with difficulty will he live." And I said, "Sir, I feel that life has come back to me in listening attentively to these commandments; for I know that I shall be saved, if in future I sin no more." And he said, "You will be saved, you and all who keep these commandments."
CHAPTER IV.
And again I asked him, saying, "Sir, since you have been so patient in listening to me, will you show me this also?" "Speak," said he. And I said, "If a wife or husband die, and the widower or widow marry, does he or she commit sin?" "There is no sin in marrying again," said he; "but if they remain unmarried, they gain greater honour and glory with the Lord; but if they marry, they do not sin. Guard, therefore, your chastity and purity, and you will live to God. What commandments I now give you, and what I am to give, keep from henceforth, yea, from the very day when you were entrusted to me, and I will dwell in your house. And your former sins will be forgiven, if you keep my commandments. And all shall be forgiven who keep these my commandments, and walk in this chastity."
Fifth Commandment
OF SADNESS OF HEART, AND OF PATIENCE.
CHAPTER I.
"Be patient," said he, "and of good understanding, and you will rule over every wicked work, and you will work all righteousness. For if you be patient, the Holy Spirit that dwells in you will be pure. He will not be darkened by any evil spirit, but, dwelling in a broad region, he will rejoice and be glad; and with the vessel in which he dwells he will serve God in gladness, having great peace within himself. But if any outburst of anger take place, forthwith the Holy Spirit, who is tender, is straitened, not having a pure place, and He seeks to depart. For he is choked by the vile spirit, and cannot attend on the Lord as he wishes, for anger pollutes him. For the Lord dwells in long-suffering, but the devil in anger. The two spirits, then, when dwelling in the same habitation, are at discord with each other, and are troublesome to that man in whom they dwell. For if an exceedingly small piece of wormwood be taken and put into a jar of honey, is not the honey entirely destroyed, and does not the exceedingly small piece of wormwood entirely take away the sweetness of the honey, so that it no longer affords any gratification to its owner, but has become bitter, and lost its use? But if the wormwood be not put into the honey, then the honey remains sweet, and is of use to its owner. You see, then, that patience is sweeter than honey, and useful to God, and the Lord dwells in it. But anger is bitter and useless. Now, if anger be mingled with patience, the patience is polluted, and its prayer is not then useful to God." "I should like, sir," said I, "to know the power of anger, that I may guard myself against it." And he said, "If you do not guard yourself against it, you and your house lose all hope of salvation. Guard yourself, therefore, against it. For I am with you, and all will depart from it who repent with their whole heart. For I will be with them, and I will save them all. For all are justified by the most holy angel.
CHAPTER II.
"Hear now," said he, "how wicked is the action of anger, and in what way it overthrows the servants of God by its action, and turns them from righteousness. But it does not turn away those who are full of faith, nor does it act on them, for the power of the Lord is with them. It is the thoughtless and doubting that it turns away. For as soon as it sees such men standing stedfast, it throws itself into their hearts, and for nothing at all the man or woman becomes embittered on account of occurrences in their daily life, as for instance on account of their food, or some superfluous word that has been uttered, or on account of some friend, or some gift or debt, or some such senseless affair. For all these things are foolish and empty and unprofitable to the servants of God. But patience is great, and mighty, and strong, and calm in the midst of great enlargement, joyful, rejoicing, free from care, glorifying God at all times, having no bitterness in her, and abiding continually meek and quiet. Now this patience dwells with those who have complete faith. But anger is foolish, and fickle, and senseless. Now, of folly is begotten bitterness, and of bitterness anger, and of anger frenzy. This frenzy, the product of so many evils, ends in great and incurable sin. For when all these spirits dwell in one vessel in which the Holy Spirit also dwells, the vessel cannot contain them, but overflows. The tender Spirit, then, not being accustomed to dwell with the wicked spirit, nor with hardness, withdraws from such a man, and seeks to dwell with meekness and peacefulness. Then, when he withdraws from the man in whom he dwelt, the man is emptied of the righteous Spirit; and being henceforward filled with evil spirits, he is in a state of anarchy in every action, being dragged hither and thither by the evil spirits, and there is a complete darkness in his mind as to everything good. This, then, is what happens to all the angry. Wherefore do you depart from that most wicked spirit anger, and put on patience, and resist anger and bitterness, and you will be found in company with the purity which is loved by the Lord. Take care, then, that you neglect not by any chance this commandment: for if you obey this commandment, you will be able to keep all the other commandments which I am to give you. Be strong, then, in these commandments, and put on power, and let all put on power, as many as wish to walk in them."
Sixth Commandment
HOW TO RECOGNISE THE TWO SPIRITS ATTENDANT ON EACH MAN, AND HOW TO DISTINGUISH THE SUGGESTIONS OF THE ONE FROM THOSE OF THE OTHER.
CHAPTER I.
"I gave you," he said, "directions in the first commandment to attend to faith, and fear, and self-restraint." "Even so, sir," said I. And he said, "Now I wish to show you the powers of these, that you may know what power each possesses. For their powers are double, and have relation alike to the righteous and the unrighteous. Trust you, therefore, the righteous, but put no trust in the unrighteous. For the path of righteousness is straight, but that of unrighteousness is crooked. But walk in the straight and even way, and mind not the crooked. For the crooked path has no roads, but has many pathless places and stumbling-blocks in it, and it is rough and thorny. It is injurious to those who walk therein. But they who walk in the straight road walk evenly without stumbling, because it is neither rough nor thorny. You see, then, that it is better to walk in this road." "I wish to go by this road," said I. "You will go by it," said he; "and whoever turns to the Lord with all his heart will walk in it."
CHAPTER II.
"Hear now," said he, "in regard to faith. There are two angels with a man--one of righteousness, and the other of iniquity." And I said to him, "How, sir, am I to know the powers of these, for both angels dwell with me?" "Hear," said he, and "understand them. The angel of righteousness is gentle and modest, meek and peaceful. When, therefore, he ascends into your heart, forthwith he talks to you of righteousness, purity, chastity, contentment, and of every righteous deed and glorious virtue. When all these ascend into your heart, know that the angel of righteousness is with you. These are the deeds of the angel of righteousness. Trust him, then, and his works. Look now at the works of the angel of iniquity. First, he is wrathful, and bitter, and foolish, and his works are evil, and ruin the servants of God. When, then, he ascends into your heart, know him by his works." And I said to him, "How, sir, I shall perceive him, I donor know." "Hear and understand" said he. "When anger comes upon you, or harshness, know that he is in you; and you will know this to be the case also, when you are attacked by a longing after many transactions, and the richest delicacies, and drunken revels, and divers luxuries, and things improper, and by a hankering after women, and by overreaching, and pride, and blustering, and by whatever is like to these. When these ascend into your heart, know that the angel of iniquity is in you. Now that you know his works, depart from him, and in no respect trust him, because his deeds are evil, and unprofitable to the servants of God. These, then, are the actions of both angels. Understand them, and trust the angel of righteousness; but depart from the angel of iniquity, because his instruction is bad in every deed. For though a man be most faithful, and the thought of this angel ascend into his heart, that man or woman must sin. On the other hand, be a man or woman ever so bad, yet, if the works of the angel of righteousness ascend into his or her heart, he or she must do something good. You see, therefore, that it is good to follow the angel of righteousness, but to bid farewell to the angel of iniquity.
"This commandment exhibits the deeds of faith, that you may trust the works of the angel of righteousness, and doing them you may live to God. But believe the works of the angel of iniquity are hard. If you refuse to do them, you will live to God."
Seventh Commandment
ON FEARING GOD, AND NOT FEARING THE DEVIL.
"Fear," said he, "the Lord, and keep His commandments. For if you keep the commandments of God, you will be powerful in every action, and every one of your actions will be incomparable. For, fearing the Lord, you will do all things well. This is the fear which you ought to have, that you may be saved. But fear not the devil; for, fearing the Lord, you will have dominion over the devil, for there is no power in him. But he in whom there is no power ought on no account to be an object of fear; but He in whom there is glorious power is truly to be feared. For every one that has power ought to be feared; but he who has not power is despised by all. Fear, therefore, the deeds of the devil, since they are wicked. For, fearing the Lord, you will not do these deeds, but will refrain from them. For fears are of two kinds: for if you do not wish to do that which is evil, fear the Lord, and you will not do it; but, again, if you wish to do that which is good, fear the Lord, and you will do it. Wherefore the fear of the Lord is strong, and great, and glorious. Fear, then, the Lord, and you will live to Him, and as many as fear Him and keep His commandments will live to God." "Why," said I, "sir, did you say in regard to those that keep His commandments, that they will live to God?" "Because," says he, "all creation fears the Lord, but all creation does not keep His commandments. They only who fear the Lord and keep His commandments have life with God; but as to those who keep not His commandments, there is no life in them."
Eighth Commandment
WE OUGHT TO SHUN THAT WHICH IS EVIL, AND DO THAT WHICH IS GOOD.
"I told you," said he, "that the creatures of God are double, for restraint also is double; for in some cases restraint has to be exercised in others there is no need of restraint." "Make known to me, sir," say I, "in what cases restraint has to be exercised, and in what cases it has not." "Restrain yourself in regard to evil, and do it not; but exercise no restraint in regard to good, but do it. For if you exercise restraint in the doing of good, you will commit a great sin; but if you exercise restraint, so as not to do that which is evil, you are practising great righteousness. Restrain yourself, therefore, from all iniquity, and do that which is good." "What, sir," say I, "are the evil deeds from which we must restrain ourselves?" "Hear," says he: "from adultery and fornication, from unlawful revelling, from wicked luxury, from indulgence in many kinds of food and the extravagance of riches, and from boastfulness, and haughtiness, and insolence, and lies, and backbiting, and hypocrisy, from the remembrance of wrong, and from all slander. These are the deeds that are most wicked in the life of men. From all these deeds, therefore, the servant of God must restrain himself. For he who does not restrain himself from these, cannot live to God. Listen, then, to the deeds that accompany these." "Are there, sir," said I, "any other evil deeds?"
"There are," says he; "and many of them, too, from which the servant of God must restrain himself--theft, lying, robbery, false witness, overreaching, wicked lust, deceit, vainglory, boastfulness, and all other vices like to these." "Do you not think that these are really wicked?""Exceedingly wicked in the servants of God. From all of these the servant of God must restrain himself. Restrain yourself, then, from all these, that you may live to God, and you will be enrolled amongst those who restrain themselves in regard to these matters. These, then, are the things from which you must restrain yourself.
"But listen," says he, "to the things in regard to which you have not to exercise self-restraint, but which you ought to do. Restrain not yourself in regard to that which is good, but do it." "And tell me, sir," say I, "the nature of the good deeds, that I may walk in them and wait on them, so that doing them I can be saved." "Listen," says he, "to the good deeds which you ought to do, and in regard to which there is no self-restraint requisite.
First of all there is faith, then fear of the Lord, love, concord, words of righteousness, truth, patience. Than these, nothing is better in the life of men. If any one attend to these, and restrain himself not from them, blessed is he in his life. Then there are the following attendant on these: helping widows, looking after orphans and the needy, rescuing the servants of God from necessities, the being hospitable--for in hospitality good-doing finds a field--never opposing any one, the being quiet, having fewer needs than all men, reverencing the aged, practising righteousness, watching the brotherhood, bearing insolence, being long-suffering, encouraging those who are sick in soul, not casting those who have fallen into sin from the faith, but turning them back and restoring them to peace of mind, admonishing sinners, not oppressing debtors and the needy, and if there are any other actions like these. Do these seem to you good?" says he. "For what, sir," say I, "is better than these?" "Walk then in them," says he, "and restrain not yourself from them, and you will live to God. Keep, therefore, this commandment. If you do good, and restrain not yourself from it, you will live to God. All who act thus will live to God. And, again, if you refuse to do evil, and restrain yourself from it, you will live to God. And all will live to God who keep these commandments, and walk in them."
Ninth Commandment
PRAYER MUST BE MADE TO GOD WITHOUT CEASING AND WITH UNWAVERING CONFIDENCE.
He says to me, "Put away doubting from you and do not hesitate to ask of the Lord, saying to yourself, 'How can I ask of the Lord and receive from Him, seeing I have sinned so much against Him?' Do not thus reason with yourself, but with all your heart turn to the Lord and ask of Him without doubting, and you will know the multitude of His tender mercies; that He will never leave you, but fulfil the request of your soul. For He is not like men, who remember evils done against them; but He Himself remembers not evils, and has compassion on His own creature, Cleanse, therefore, your heart from all the vanities of this world, and from the words already mentioned, and ask of the Lord and you will receive all, and in none of your requests will you be denied which you make to the Lord without doubting. But if you doubt in your heart, you will receive none of your requests. For those who doubt regarding God are double-souled, and obtain not one of their requests. But those who are perfect in faith ask everything, trusting in the Lord; and they obtain, because they ask nothing doubting, and not being double-souled. For every double-souled man, even if he repent, will with difficulty be saved. Cleanse your heart, therefore, from all doubt, and put on faith, because it is strong, and trust God that you will obtain from Him all that you ask. And if at any time, after you have asked of the Lord, you are slower in obtaining your request [than you expected], do not doubt because you have not soon obtained the request of your soul; for invariably it is on account of some temptation or some sin of which you are ignorant that you are slower in obtaining your request. Wherefore do not cease to make the request of your soul, and you will obtain it. But if you grow weary and waver in your request, blame yourself, and not Him who does not give to you. Consider this doubting state of mind, for it is wicked and senseless, and turns many away entirely from the faith, even though they be very strong. For this doubting is the daughter of the devil, and acts exceedingly wickedly to the servants of God. Despise, then, doubting, and gain the mastery over it in everything; clothing yourself with faith, which is strong and powerful. For faith promises all things, perfects all things; but doubt having no thorough faith in itself, fails in every work which it undertakes. You see, then," says he, "that, faith is from above--from the Lord --and has great power; but doubt is an earthly spirit, coming from the devil, and has no power. Serve, then, that which has power, namely faith, and keep away from doubt, which has no power, and you will live to God. And all will live to God whose minds have been set on these things." Second Book: Commandments
Tenth Commandment
OF GRIEF, AND NOT GRIEVING THE SPIRIT OF GOD WHICH IS IN US.
CHAPTER I.
"Remove from you," says he, "grief; for she is the sister of doubt and anger." "How, sir," say I, "is she the sister of these? for anger, doubt, and grief seem to be quite different from each other." "You are senseless, O man.
Do you not perceive that grief is more wicked than all the spirits, and most terrible to the servants of God, and more than all other spirits destroys man and crushes out the Holy Spirit, and yet, on the other hand, she saves him?"
"I am senseless, sir," say I, "and do not understand these parables. For how she can crush out, and on the other hand save, I do not perceive." "Listen,"
says he. "Those who have never searched for the truth, nor investigated the nature of the Divinity, but have simply believed, when they devote themselves to and become mixed up with business, and wealth, and heathen friendships, and many other actions of this world, do not perceive the parables of Divinity; for their minds are darkened by these actions, and they are corrupted and become dried up. Even as beautiful vines, when they are neglected, are withered up by thorns and divers plants, so men who have believed, and have afterwards fallen away into many of those actions above mentioned, go astray in their minds, and lose all understanding in regard to righteousness; for if they hear of righteousness, their minds are occupied with their business,
and they give no heed at all. Those, on the other hand, who have the fear of God, and search after Godhead and truth, and have their hearts turned to the Lord, quickly perceive and understand what is said to them, because they have the fear of the Lord in them. For where the Lord dwells, there is much understanding. Cleave, then, to the Lord, and you will understand and perceive all things.
CHAPTER II.
"Hear, then," says he, "foolish man, how grief crushes out the Holy Spirit, and on the 27
other hand saves. When the doubting man attempts any deed, and fails in it on account of his doubt, this grief enters into the man, and grieves the Holy Spirit, and crushes him out. Then, on the other hand, when anger attaches itself to a man in regard to any matter, and he is embittered, then grief enters into the heart of the man who was irritated, and he is grieved at the deed which he did, and repents that he has wrought a wicked deed. This grief, then, appears to be accompanied by salvation, because the man, after having done a wicked deed, repented. Both actions grieve the Spirit: doubt, because it did not accomplish its object; and anger grieves the Spirit, because it did what was wicked. Both these are grievous to the Holy Spirit--doubt and anger. Wherefore remove grief from you, and crush not the Holy Spirit which dwells in you, lest he entreat God against you, and he withdraw from you. For the Spirit of God which has been granted to us to dwell in this body does not endure grief nor straitness. Wherefore put on cheerfulness, which always is agreeable and acceptable to God, and rejoice in it. For every cheerful man does what is good, and minds what is good, and despises grief; but the sorrowful man always acts wickedly. First, he acts wickedly because he grieves the Holy Spirit, which was given to man a cheerful Spirit. Secondly, Grieving the Holy Spirit, he works iniquity, neither entreating the Lord nor confessing to Him. For the entreaty of the sorrowful man has no power to ascend to the altar of God." "Why," say I, "does not the entreaty of the grieved man ascend to the altar?" "Because," says he, "grief sits in his heart. Grief, then, mingled with his entreaty, does not permit the entreaty to ascend pure to the altar of God. For as vinegar and wine, when mixed in the same vessel, do not give the same pleasure [as wine alone gives], so grief mixed. with the Holy Spirit does not produce the same entreaty [as would be produced by the Holy Spirit alone]. Cleanse yourself from this wicked grief, and you will live to God; and all will live to God who drive away grief from them, and put on all cheerfulness."
Eleventh Commandment
THE SPIRIT AND PROPHETS TO BE TRIED BY THEIR WORKS; ALSO OF THE TWO KINDS OF SPIRIT.
He pointed out to me some men sitting on a seat, and one man sitting on a chair. And he says to me, "Do you see the persons sitting on the seat?" "I do, sir," said I. "These," says he, "are the faithful, and he who sits on the chair is a false prophet, ruining the minds of the servants of God. It is the doubters, not the faithful, that he ruins. These doubters then go to him as to a soothsayer, and inquire of him what will happen to them; and he, the false prophet, not having the power of a Divine Spirit in him, answers them according to their inquiries, and according to their wicked desires, and fills their souls with expectations, according to their own wishes. For being himself empty, he gives empty answers to empty inquirers; for every answer is made to the emptiness of man. Some true words he does occasionally utter; for the devil fills him with his own spirit, in the hope that he may be able to overcome some of the righteous. As many, then, as are strong in the faith of the Lord, and are clothed with truth, have no connection with such spirits, but keep away from them; but as many as are of doubtful minds and frequently repent, betake themselves to soothsaying, even as the heathen, and bring greater sin upon themselves by their idolatry. For he who inquires of a false prophet in regard to any action is an idolater, and devoid of the truth, and foolish. For no spirit given by God requires to be asked; but such a spirit having the power of Divinity speaks all things of itself, for it proceeds from above from the power of the Divine Spirit. But the spirit which is asked and speaks according to the desires of men is earthly, light, and powerless, and it is altogether silent if it is not questioned." "How then, sir," say I, "will a man know which of them is the prophet, and which the false prophet?" "I will tell you," says he, "about both the prophets, and then you can try the true and the false prophet according to my directions. Try the man who has the Divine Spirit by his life. First, he who has the Divine Spirit proceeding from above is meek, and peaceable, and humble, and refrains from, all iniquity and the vain desire of this world, and contents himself with fewer wants than those of other men, and when asked he makes no reply; nor does he speak privately, nor when man wishes the spirit to speak does the Holy Spirit speak, but it speaks only when God wishes it to speak. When, then, a man having the Divine Spirit comes into an assembly of righteous men who have faith in the Divine Spirit, and this assembly of men offers up prayer to God, then the angel of the prophetic Spirit, who is destined for him, fills the man; and the man being filled with the Holy Spirit, speaks to the multitude as the Lord wishes. Thus, then, will the Spirit of Divinity become manifest. Whatever power therefore comes from the Spirit of Divinity belongs to the Lord. Hear, then," says he, "in regard to the spirit which is earthly, and empty, and powerless, and foolish. First, the man who seems to have the Spirit exalts himself, and wishes to have the first seat, and is bold, and impudent, and talkative, and lives in the midst of many luxuries and many other delusions, and takes rewards for his prophecy; and if he does not receive rewards, he does not prophesy. Can, then, the Divine Spirit take rewards and prophesy? It is not possible that the prophet of God should do this, but prophets of this character are possessed by an earthly spirit. Then it never approaches an assembly of righteous men, but shuns them. And it associates with doubters and the vain, and prophesies to them in a comer, and deceives them, speaking to them, according to their desires, mere empty words: for they are empty to whom it gives its answers. For the empty vessel, when placed along with the empty, is not Crashed, but they correspond to each other. When, therefore, it comes into an assembly of righteous men who have a Spirit of Divinity, and they offer up prayer, that man is made empty, and the earthly spirit tees from him through fear, and that man is made dumb, and is entirely crashed, being unable to speak. For if you pack closely a storehouse with wine or oil, and put an empty jar in the midst of the vessels of wine or oil, you will find that jar empty as when you placed it, if you should wish to clear the storehouse. So also the empty prophets, when they come to the spirits of the righteous, are found [on leaving] to be such as they were when they came. This, then, is the mode of life of both prophets. Try by his deeds and his life the man who says that he is inspired. But as for you, trust the Spirit which comes from God, and has power; but the spirit which is earthly and empty trust not at all, for there is no power in it: it comes from the devil. Hear, then, the parable which I am to tell you. Take a stone, and throw it to the sky, and see if you can touch it. Or again, take a squirt of water and squirt into the sky, and see if you can penetrate the sky." "How, sir," say I, "can these things take place? for both of them are impossible." "As these things," says he, "are impossible, so also are the earthly spirits powerless and pithless. But look, on the other hand, at the power which comes from above. Hail is of the size of a very small grain, yet when it falls on a man's head how much annoyance it gives him! Or, again, take the drop which falls from a pitcher to the ground, and yet it hollows a stone. You see, then, that the smallest things coming from above have great power when they fall upon the earth. Thus also is the Divine Spirit, which comes from above, powerful. Trust, then, that Spirit, but have nothing to do with the other."
Twelfth Commandment
ON THE TWOFOLD DESIRE. THE COMMANDMENTS OF GOD CAN BE KEPT, AND BELIEVERS OUGHT NOT TO FEAR THE DEVIL.
CHAPTER I.
He says to me, "Put away from you all wicked desire, and clothe yourself with good and chaste desire; for clothed with this desire you will hate wicked desire, and will rein yourself in even as you wish. For wicked desire is wild, and is with difficulty tamed. For it is terrible, and consumes men exceedingly by its wildness. Especially is the servant of God terribly consumed by it, if he falls into it and is devoid of understanding. Moreover, it consumes all such as have not on them the garment of good desire, but are entangled and mixed up with this world. These it delivers up to death." "What then, sir," say I, "are the deeds of wicked desire which deliver men over to death? Make them known to me, and I will refrain from them." "Listen, then, to the works in which evil desire slays the servants of God."
CHAPTER II.
"Foremost of all is the desire after another's wife or husband, and after extravagance, and many useless dainties and drinks, and many other foolish luxuries; for all luxury is foolish and empty in the servants of God. These, then, are the evil desires which slay the servants of God. For this evil desire is the daughter of the devil. You must refrain from evil desires, that by refraining ye may live to God. But as many as are mastered by them, and do not resist them, will perish at last, for these desires are fatal. Put you on, then, the desire of righteousness; and arming yourself with the fear of the Lord, 29
resist them. For the fear of the Lord dwells in good desire. But if evil desire see you armed with the fear of God, and resisting it, it will flee far from you, and it will no longer appear to you, for it fears your armour. Go, then, garlanded with the crown which you have gained for victory over it, to the desire of righteousness, and, delivering up to it the prize which you have received, serve it even as it wishes. If you serve good desire, and be subject to it, you will gain the mastery over evil desire, and make it subject to you even as you wish."
CHAPTER III.
"I should like to how," say I, "in what way I ought to serve good desire." "Hear," says he: "You will practise righteousness and virtue, truth and the fear of the Lord, faith and meekness, and whatsoever excellences are like to these. Practising these, you will be a well-pleasing servant of God, and you will live to Him; and every one who shall serve good desire, shall live to God."
He concluded the twelve commandments, and said to me, "You have now these commandments. Walk in them, and exhort your hearers that their repentance may be pure during the remainder of their life. Fulfil carefully this ministry which I now entrust to you, and you will accomplish much. For you will find favour among those who are to repent, and they will give heed to your words; for I will be with you, and will compel them to obey you." I say to him, "Sir, these commandments are great, and good, and glorious, and fitted to gladden the heart of the man who can perform them. But I do not know if these commandments can be kept by man, because they are exceeding hard." He answered and said to me, "If you lay it down as certain that they can be kept, then you will easily keep them, and they will not be hard. But if you come to imagine that they cannot be kept by man, then you will not keep them. Now I
say to you, If you do not keep them, but neglect them, you will not be saved, nor your children, nor your house, since you have already determined for yourself that these commandments cannot be kept by man."
CHAPTER IV.
These things he said to me in tones of the deepest anger, so that I was confounded and exceedingly afraid of him, for his figure was altered so that a man could not endure his anger. But seeing me altogether agitated and confused, he began to speak to me in more gentle tones; and he said: "O feel, senseless and doubting, do you not perceive how great is the glory of God, and how strong and marvellous, in that He created the world for the sake of man, and subjected all creation to him, and gave him power to rule over everything under heaven? If, then, man is lord of the creatures of God, and rules over all, is he not able to be lord also of these commandments? For," says he, "the man who has the Lord in his heart can also be lord of all, and of every one of these commandments. But to those who have the Lord only on their lips, but their hearts hardened, and who are far from the Lord, the commandments are hard and difficult. Put, therefore, ye who are empty and fickle in yoUr faith, the Lord in your heart, and ye will know that there is nothing easier or sweeter, or more manageable, than these commandments. Return, ye who walk in the commandments of the devil, in hard, and bitter, and wild licentiousness, and fear not the devil; for there is no power in him against you, for I will be with you, the angel of repentance, who am lord over him. The devil has fear only, but his fear has no strength. Fear him not, then, and he will flee from you."
CHAPTER V.
I say to him, "Sir, listen to me for a moment." "Say what you wish," says he. "Man, sir," say I, "is eager to keep the commandments of God, and there is no one who does not ask of the Lord that strength may be given him for these commandments, and that he may be subject to them; but the devil is hard, and holds sway over them." "He cannot," says he, "hold sway over the servants of God, who with all their heart place their hopes in Him. The devil can wrestle against these, overthrow them he cannot. If, then, ye resist him, he will be conquered, and flee in disgrace from you. As many, therefore," says he, "as are empty, fear the devil, as possessing power. When a man has filled very suitable jars with good wine, and a few among those jars are left empty, then he comes to the jars, and does not look at the full jars, for he knows that they are full; but he looks at the empty, being afraid lest they have become sour. For empty jars quickly become sour, and the goodness of the wine is gone. So also the devil goes to all 30
the servants of God to try them. As many, then, as are full in the faith, resist him strongly, and he withdraws from them, having no way by which he might enter them. He goes, then, to the empty, and finding a way of entrance, into them, he produces in them whatever he wishes, and they become his servants.
CHAPTER VI.
"But I, the angel of repentance, say to you Fear not the devil; for I was sent," says he, "to be with you who repent with all your heart, and to make you strong in faith. Trust God, then, ye who on account of your sins have despaired of life, and who add to your sins and weigh down your life; for if ye return to the Lord with all your heart, and practise righteousness the rest of your days, and serve Him according to His will, He will heal your former sins, and you will have power to hold sway over the works of the devil. But as to the threats of the devil, fear them not at all, for he is powerless as the sinews of a dead man. Give ear to me, then, and fear Him who has all power, both to save and destroy, and keep His commandments, and ye will live to God." I say to him, "Sir, I am now made strong in all the ordinances of the Lord, because you are with me; and I know that you will crush all the power of the devil, and we shall have rule over him, and shall prevail against all his works. And I hope, sir, to be able to keep all these commandments s which you have enjoined upon me, the Lord strengthening me." "You will keep them," says he, "if your heart be pure towards the Lord; and all will keep them who cleanse their hearts from the vain desires of this world, and they will live to God."
Third Book: Similitudes
First Similitude
AS IN THIS WORLD WE HAVE NO ABIDING CITY, WE OUGHT TO SEEK ONE TO COME.
HE says to me, "You know that you who are the servants of God dwell in a strange land; for your city is far away from this one. If, then," he continues, "you know your city in which you are to dwell, why do ye here provide lands, and make expensive preparations, and accumulate dwellings and useless buildings? He who makes such preparations for this city cannot return again to his own. Oh foolish, and unstable, and miserable man! Dost thou not understand that all these things belong to another, and are under the power of another? for the lord of this city will say, 'I do not wish thee to dwell in my city; but depart from this city, because thou obeyest not my laws.' Thou, therefore, although having fields and houses, and many other things, when cast out by him, what wilt thou do with thy land, and house, and other possessions which thou hast gathered to thyself? For the lord of this country justly says to thee, 'Either obey my laws or depart from my dominion.' What, then, dost thou intend to do, having a law in thine own city, on account of thy lands, and the rest of thy possessions? Thou shalt altogether deny thy law, and walk according to the law of this city. See lest it be to thy hurt to deny thy law; for if thou shalt desire to return to thy city, thou wilt not be received, because thou hast denied the law of thy city, but wilt be excluded from it. Have a care, therefore: as one living in a foreign land, make no further preparations for thyself than such merely as may be sufficient; and be ready, when the master of this city shall come to cast thee out for disobeying his law, to leave his city, and to depart to thine own, and to obey thine own law without being exposed to annoyance, but in great joy. Have a care, then, ye who serve the Lord, and have Him in your heart, that ye work the works of God, remembering His commandments and promises which He promised, and believe that He will bring them to pass if His commandments be observed. Instead of lands, therefore, buy afflicted souls, according as each one is able, and visit s widows and orphans, and do not overlook them; and spend your wealth and all your preparations, which ye received from the Lord, upon such lands and houses. For to this end did the Master make you rich, that you might perform these services unto Him; and it is much better to purchase such lands, and possessions, and houses, as you will find in your own city, when you come to reside in it. This is a noble and sacred expenditure, attended neither with sorrow nor fear, but with joy. Do not practise the expenditure of the heathen, for it is injurious to you who are the servants of God; but practise an expenditure of your own, in which ye can rejoice; and do not corrupt nor touch what is another's nor covet it, for it is an evil thing to covet the goods of other men; but work thine own work, and thou wilt be saved."
Second Similitude
AS THE VINE IS SUPPORTED BY THE ELM, SO IS THE RICH MAN HELPER BY THE PRAYER OF THE POOR.
AS I was walking in the field, and observing an elm and vine, and determining in my own, mind respecting them and their fruits, the Shepherd appears to me, and says, "What is it that you are thinking about the elm and vine?" "I am considering," I reply, "that they become each other exceedingly well." "These two trees," he continues, "are intended as an example for the servants of God." "I would like to know," said I, "the example which these trees you say, are intended to teach." "Do you see," he says, "the elm and the vine?" "I see them sir," I replied. "This vine," he continued, "produces fruit, and the elm is an unfruitful tree; but unless the vine be trained upon the elm, it cannot bear much fruit when extended at length upon the ground; and the fruit which it does bear is rotten, because the plant is not suspended upon the elm. When, therefore, the vine is cast upon the elm, it yields fruit both, from itself and from the elm. You see, moreover, that the elm also produces much fruit, not less than the vine, but even more; because," he continued, "the vine, when suspended upon the elm, yields much fruit, and good; but when thrown upon the ground, what it produces is small and rotten. This similitude, therefore, is for the servants of God--for the poor man and for the rich." "How so, sir?" said I; "explain the matter to me." "Listen," he said: "The rich man has much wealth, but is poor in matters relating to the Lord, because he is distracted about his riches; and he offers very few confessions and intercessions to the Lord, and those which he does offer are small and weak, and have no power above. But when the rich man refreshes the poor, and assists him in his necessities, believing that what he does to the poor man will be able to find its reward with God--because the poor man is rich in intercession and confession, and his intercession has great power with God--then the rich man helps the poor in all things without hesitation; and the poor man, being helped by the rich, intercedes for him, giving thanks to God for him who bestows gifts upon him. And he still continues to interest himself zealously for the poor man, that his wants may be constantly supplied. For he knows that the intercession of the poor man is acceptable and influential with God. Both, accordingly, accomplish their work. The poor man makes intercession; a work in which he is rich, which he received from the Lord, and with which he recompenses the master who helps him. And the rich man, in like manner, unhesitatingly bestows upon the poor man the riches which he received from the Lord. And this is a great work, and acceptable before God, because he understands the object of his wealth, and has given to the poor of the gifts of the Lord, and rightly discharged his service to Him. Among men, however, the elm appears not to produce fruit, and they do not know nor understand that if a drought come, the elm, which contains water, nourishes the vine l and the vine, having an unfailing supply of water, yields double fruit both for itself and for the elm. So also poor men interceding with the Lord on behalf of the rich, increase their riches; and the rich, again, aiding the poor in their necessities, satisfy their souls. Both, therefore, are partners in the righteous work. He who does these things shall not be deserted by God, but shall be enrolled in the books of the living. Blessed are they who have riches, and who understand that they are from the Lord. [For they who are of that mind will be able to do some good.]"
Third Similitude
AS IN WINTER GREEN TREES CANNOT BE DISTINGUISHED FROM WITHERED, SO IN THIS WORLD NEITHER CAN THE JUST FROM THE UNJUST.
He showed me many trees having no leaves, but withered, as it seemed to me; for all were alike. And he said to me, "Do you see those trees?" "I see, sir," I replied, "that all are alike, and withered." He answered me, and said, "These trees which you see are those who dwell in this world." "Why, then, sir," I said, "are they withered, as it were, and alike?" "Because," he said, "neither are the righteous manifest in this life, nor sinners, but they are alike; for this life is a winter to the righteous, and they do not manifest themselves, because they dwell with sinners: for as in winter trees that have cast their leaves are alike, and it is not seen which are dead and which are living, so in this world neither do the righteous show themselves, nor sinners, but all are alike one to another."
Fourth Similitude
AS IN SUMMER LIVING TREES ARE DISTINGUISHED FROM WITHERED BY FRUIT AND LIVING LEAVES, SO IN THE WORLD TO COME THE JUST DIFFER FROM THE UNJUST IN HAPPINESS.
He showed me again many trees, some budding, and others withered. And he said to me, "Do you see these trees?" "I see, sir," I replied, "some putting forth buds, and others withered." "Those," he said, "which are budding are the righteous who are to live in the world to come; for the coming world is the summer of the righteous, but the winter of sinners. When, therefore, the mercy of the Lord shines forth, then shall they be made manifest who are the servants of God, and all men shall be made manifest. For as in summer the fruits of each individual tree appear, and it is ascertained of what sort they are, so also the fruits of the righteous shall be manifest, and all who have been fruitful in that world shall be made known. But the heathen and sinners, like the withered trees which you saw, will be found to be those who have been withered and unfruitful in that world, and shall be burnt as wood, and made manifest, because their actions were evil during their lives. For the sinners shall be consumed because they sinned and did not repent, and the heathen shall be burned because they knew not Him who created them. Do you therefore bear fruit, that in that summer your fruit may be known. And refrain from much business, and you will never sin: for they who are occupied with much business commit also many sins, being distracted about their affairs, and not at all serving their Lord. How, then," he continued, "can such a one ask and obtain anything from the Lord, if he serve Him not? They who serve Him shall obtain their requests, but they who serve Him not shall receive nothing. And in the performance even of a single action a man can serve the Lord; for his mind will not be perverted from the Lord, but he will serve Him, having a pure mind. If, therefore, you do these things, you shall be able to bear fruit for the life to come. And every one who will do these things shall bear fruit."
Fifth Similitude
OF TRUE FASTING AND ITS REWARD: ALSO OF PURITY OF BODY.
CHAPTER I.
While fasting and sitting on a certain mountain, and giving thanks to the Lord for all His dealings with me, I see the Shepherd sitting down beside me, and saying, "Why have you come hither early in the morning?" "Because, sir," I answered, "I have a station." "What is a station?" he asked. "I am fasting, sir," I replied. "What is this fasting," he continued, "which you are observing?" "As I have been accustomed, sir," I reply, "so I fast." "You do not know," he says, "how to fast unto the Lord: this useless fasting which you observe to HIm is of no value." "Why, sir," I answered, "do you say this?" "I say to you," he continued, "that the fasting which you think you observe is not a fasting. But I will teach you what is a full and acceptable fasting to the Lord. Listen," he continued: "God does not desire such an empty fasting? For fasting to God in this way you will do nothing for a righteous life; but offer to God a fasting of the following kind: Do no evil in your life, and serve the Lord with a pure heart: keep His commandments, walking in His precepts, and let no evil desire arise in your heart; and believe in God. If you do these things, and fear Him, and abstain from every evil thing, you will live unto God; and if you do these things, you will keep a great fast, and one acceptable before God.
CHAPTER II.
"Hear the similitude which I am about to narrate to you relative to fasting. A certain man had a field and many slaves, and he planted a certain part of the field with a vineyard, and selecting a faithful and beloved and much valued slave, he called him to him, and said, 'Take this vineyard which I have planted, and stake it until I come, and do nothing else to the vineyard; and attend to this order of mine, and you shall receive your freedom from me.' And the master of the slave departed to a foreign country. And when he was gone, the slave took and staked the vineyard; and when he had finished the staking of the vines, he saw that the vineyard was full of weeds. He then reflected, saying, 'I have kept this order of my master: I will dig up the rest of this vineyard, and it will be more beautiful when dug up; and being free of weeds, it will yield more fruit, not being choked by them.' He took, therefore, and dug up the vineyard, and rooted out all the weeds that were in it. And that vineyard became very beautiful and fruitful, Having no weeds to choke it. And after a certain time the master of the slave and of the field returned, and entered into the vineyard. And seeing that the vines were suitably supported on stakes, and the ground, moreover, dug up, and all the weeds rooted out, and the vines fruitful, he was greatly pleased with the work of his slave. And calling his beloved son who was his heir, and his friends who were his councillors, he told them what orders he had given his slave, and what he had found performed. And they rejoiced along with the slave at the testimony which his master bore to him. And he said to them, 'I promised this slave freedom if he obeyed the command which I gave him; and he has kept my command, and done besides a good work to the vineyard, and has pleased me exceedingly. In return, therefore, for the work which he has done, I wish to make him co-heir with my son, because, having good thoughts, he did not neglect them, but carried them out.' With this resolution of the master his son and friends were well pleased, viz., that the slave should be co-heir with the son. After a few days the master made a feast, and sent to his slave many dishes from his table. And the slave receiving the dishes that were sent him from his master, took of them what was sufficient for himself, and distributed the rest among his fellow-slaves. And his fellow-slaves rejoiced to receive the dishes, and began to pray for him, that he might find still greater favour with his master for having so treated them. His master heard all these things that were done, and was again greatly pleased with his conduct. And the master again calling; together his friends and his son, reported to them the slave's proceeding with regard to the dishes which he had sent him. And they were still more satisfied that the slave should become co-heir with his son."
CHAPTER III.
I said to him, "Sir, I do not see the meaning of these similitudes, nor am I able to comprehend them, unless you explain them to me." "I will explain them all to you," he said, "and whatever I shall mention in the course of our conversations I will show you. [Keep the commandments of the Lord, and you will be approved, and inscribed amongst the number of those who observe His commands.] And if you do any good beyond what is commanded by God, you will gain for yourself more abundant glory, and will be more honoured by God than you would otherwise be. If, therefore, in keeping the commandments of God, you do, in addition, these services, you will have joy if you observe them according to my command." I said to him, "Sir, whatsoever you enjoin upon me I will observe, for I know that you are with me." "I will be with you," he replied, "because you have such a desire for doing good; and I will be with all those," he added, "who have such a desire. This fasting," he continued, "is very good, provided the commandments of the Lord be observed. Thus, then, shall you observe the fasting which you intend to keep. First of all, be on your guard against every evil word, and every evil desire, and purify your heart from all the vanities of this world. If you guard against these things, your fasting will be perfect. And you will do also as follows. Having fulfilled what is written, in the day on which you fast you will taste nothing but bread and water; and having reckoned up the price of the dishes of that day which you intended to have eaten, you will give it to a widow, or an orphan, or to some person in want, and thus you will exhibit humility of mind, so that he who has received benefit from your humility may fill his own soul, and pray for you to the Lord. If you observe fasting, as I have commanded you, your sacrifice will be acceptable to God, and this fasting will be written down; and the service thus performed is noble, and sacred, and acceptable to the Lord. These things, therefore, shall you thus observe with your children, and all your house, and in observing them you will be blessed; and as many as hear these words and observe them shall be blessed; and whatsoever they ask of the Lord they shall receive."
CHAPTER IV.
I prayed him much that he would explain to me the similitude of the field, and of the master of the vineyard, and of the slave who staked the vineyard, and of the sakes, and of the weeds that were plucked out of the vineyard, and of the son, and of the friends who were fellow-councillors, for I knew that all these things were a kind of parable. And he answered me, and said, "You are exceedingly persistent with your questions. You ought not," he continued, "to ask any questions at all; for if it is needful to explain anything, it will be made known to you." I said to him "Sir whatsoever you show me, and do not explain, I shall have seen to no purpose, not understanding its meaning. In like manner, also, if you speak parables to me, and do not unfold them, I shall have heard your words in vain." And he answered me again, saying, "Every one who is the servant of God, and has his Lord in his heart, asks of Him understanding, and receives it, and opens up every parable; and the words of the Lord become known to him which are spoken in parables? But those who are weak and slothful in prayer, hesitate to ask anything from the Lord; but the Lord is full of compassion, and gives without fail to all who ask Him. But you, having been strengthened by the holy Angel, and having obtained from Him such intercession, and not being slothful, why do not you ask of the Lord understanding, and receive it from Him?" I said to him, "Sir, having you with me, I am necessitated to ask questions of you, for you show me all things, and converse with me; but if I were to see or hear these things without you, I would then ask the Lord to explain them."
CHAPTER V.
"I said to you a little ago," he answered, "that you were cunning and obstinate in asking explanations of the parables; but since you are so persistent, I shall unfold to you the meaning of the similitudes of the field, and of all the others that follow, that you may make them known to every one. Hear now," he said, "and understand them. The field is this world; and the Lord of the field is He who created, and perfected, and strengthened all things; [and the son is the Holy Spirit; ] and the slave is the Son of God; and the vines are this people, whom He Himself planted; and the stakes are the holy angels of the Lord, who keep His people together; and the weeds that were plucked out of the vineyard are the iniquities of God's servants; and the dishes which He sent Him from His able are the commandments which He gave His people through His Son; and the friends and fellow-councillors are the holy angels who were first created; and the Master's absence from home is the time that remains until His appearing." I said to him, "Sir, all these are great, and marvellous, and glorious things. Could I, therefore," I continued, "understand them? No, nor could any other man, even if exceedingly wise. Moreover," I added, "explain to me what I am about to ask you." "Say what you wish," he replied. "Why, sir," I asked, "is the Son of God in the parable in the form of a slave?"
CHAPTER VI.
"Hear," he answered: "the Son of God is not in the form of a slave, but in great power and might." "How so, sir?" I said; "I do not understand." "Because," he answered, "God planted the vineyard, that is to say, He created the people, and gave them to His Son; and the Son appointed His angels over them to keep them; and He Himself purged away their sins, having suffered many trials and undergone many labours, for no one is able to dig without labour and toil. He Himself, then, having purged away the sins of the people, showed them the paths of life by giving them the law which He received from His Father. [You see," he said, "that He is the Lord of the people, having received all authority from His Father. ] And why the Lord took His Son as councillor, and the glorious angels, regarding the heirship of the slave, listen. The holy, pre-existent Spirit, that created every creature, God made to dwell in flesh, which He chose. This flesh, accordingly, in which the Holy Spirit dwelt, was nobly subject to that Spirit, walking reli 36
giously and chastely, in no respect defiling the Spirit; and accordingly, after living excellently and purely, and after labouring and co-operating with the Spirit, and having in everything acted vigorously and courageously along with the Holy Spirit, He assumed it as a partner with it. For this conduct of the flesh pleased Him, because it was not defiled on the earth while having the Holy Spirit. He took, therefore, as fellow-councillors His Son and the glorious angels, in order that this flesh, which had been subject to the body without a fault, might have some place of tabernacle, and that it might not appear that the reward [of its servitude had been lost ], for the flesh that has been found without spot or defilement, in which the Holy Spirit dwelt, [will receive a reward ]. You have now the explanation of this parable also."
CHAPTER VII.
"I rejoice, sir," I said, "to hear this explanation." "Hear," again he replied: "Keep this flesh pure and stainless, that the Spirit which inhabits it may bear witness to it, and your flesh may be justified. See that the thought never arise in your mind that this flesh of yours is corruptible, and you misuse it by any act of defilement. If you defile your flesh, you will also defile the Holy Spirit; and if you defile your flesh [and spirit], you will not live." "And if any one, sir," I said, "has been hitherto ignorant, before he heard these words, how can such man be saved who has defiled his flesh?" "Respecting former sins of ignorance," he said, "God alone is able to heal them, for to Him belongs all power. [But be On your guard now, and the all-powerful and compassionate God will heal former transgressions ], if for the time to come you defile not your body nor your spirit; for both are common, and cannot be defiled, the one without the other: keep both therefore pure, and you will live unto God."
Sixth Similitude
OF THE TWO CLASSES OF VOLUPTUOUS MEN, AND OF THEIR DEATH, FALLING AWAY, AND THE DURATION OF THEIR PUNISHMENT.
CHAPTER I.
Sitting in my house, and glorifying the Lord for all that I had seen, and reflecting on the commandments, that they are excellent, and powerful, and glorious, and able to save a man's soul, I said within myself, "I shall be blessed if I walk in these commandments, and every one who walks in them will be blessed." While I was saying these words to myself, I suddenly see him sitting beside me, and hear him thus speak: "Why are you in doubt about the commandments which I gave you? They are excellent: have no doubt about them at all, but put on faith in the Lord, and you will walk in them, for I will strengthen you in them. These commandments are beneficial to those who intend to repent: for if they do not walk in them, their repentance is in vain You, therefore, who repent cast away the wickedness of this world which wears you out; and by putting on all the virtues of a holy life, you will be able to keep these commandments, and will no longer add to the number of your sins. Walk, therefore, in these commandments of mine, and you will live unto God. All these things have been spoken to you by me." And after he had uttered these words, he said to me, "Let us go into the fields, and I will show you the shepherds of the flocks." "Let us go, sir," I replied. And we came to a certain plain, and he showed me a young man, a shepherd, clothed in a suit of garments of a yellow colour: and he was herding very many sheep, and these sheep were feeding luxuriously, as it were, and riotously, and merrily skipping hither and thither. The shepherd himself was merry, because of his flock; and the appearance of the shepherd was joyous, and he was running about amongst his flock. [And other sheep I saw rioting and luxuriating in one place, but not, however, leaping about. ]
CHAPTER II
And he said to me, "Do you see this shepherd?" "I see him, sir," I said. "This," he answered, "is the angel of luxury and deceit: he wears out the souls of the servants of God, and perverts them from the truth, deceiving them with wicked desires, through which they will perish; for they forget the commandments of the living God, and walk in deceits and empty luxuries; and they are ruined by the angel, some being brought to death, others to corruption:" I said to him, "Sir, I do not know the meaning of these words, 'to death, and to corruption.'" "Listen," he said. "The sheep which you saw merry and leaping about, are those which have tom themselves away from God for ever, and have delivered themselves over to luxuries and deceits [of this world. Among them there is no return to life through repentance, because they have added to their other sins, and blasphemed the name of the Lord. Such men therefore, are appointed unto death. And the sheep which you saw not leaping, but feeding in one place, are they who have delivered themselves over to luxury and deceit], but have committed no blasphemy against the Lord. These have been perverted from the truth: among them there is the hope of repentance, by which it is possible to live. Corruption, then, has a hope of a kind of renewal, but death has everlasting ruin." Again I went forward a little way, and he showed me a tall shepherd, somewhat savage in his appearance, clothed in a white goatskin, and having a wallet on his shoulders, and a very hard staff with branches, and a large whip. And he had a very sour look, so that I was afraid of him, so forbidding was his aspect. This shepherd, accordingly, was receiving the sheep from the young shepherd, those, viz., that were rioting and luxuriating, but not leaping; and he cast them into a precipitous place, full of this ties and thorns, so that it was impossible to extricate the sheep from the thorns and thistles; but they were completely entangled amongst them. These, accordingly, thus entangled, pastured amongst the thorns and thistles, and were exceedingly miserable, being beaten by him; and he drove them hither and thither, and gave them no rest; and, altogether, these sheep were in a wretched plight.
CHAPTER III.
Seeing them, therefore, so beaten and so badly used, I was grieved for them, because they were so tormented, and had no rest at all. And I said to the Shepherd who talked with me, "Sir, who is this shepherd, who is so pitiless and severe, and so completely devoid of compassion for these sheep?"
"This," he replied, "is the angel of punishment; and he belongs to the just angels, and is appointed to punish. He accordingly takes those who wander away from God, and who have walked in the desires and deceits of this world, and chastises them as they deserve with terrible and diverse punishments." "I would know, sir," I said, "Of what nature are these diverse tortures and punishments?" "Hear," he said, "the various tortures and punishments. The tortures are such as occur during life. For some are punished with losses, others with want, others with sicknesses of various kinds, and others with all kinds of disOrder and confusion; others are insulted by unworthy persons, and exposed to suffering in many other ways: for many, becoming unstable in their plans, try many things, and none of them at all succeed, and they say they are not prosperous in their undertakings; and it does not occur to their minds that they have done evil deeds, but they blame the Lord. When, therefore, they have been afflicted with all kinds of affliction, then are they delivered unto me for good training, and they are made strong in the faith of the Lord; and for the rest of the days of their life they are subject to the Lord with pure hearts, and are successful in all their undertakings, obtaining from the Lord everything they ask; and then they glorify the Lord, that they were delivered to me, and no longer suffer any evil."
CHAPTER IV.
I said to him, "Sir, explain this also to me." "What is it you ask?" he said. "Whether, sir," I continued, "they who indulge in luxury, and who are deceived, are tortured for the same period of time that they have indulged in luxury and deceit?" He said to me, "They are tortured in the same manner." ["They are tormented much less, sir," I replied;] "for those who are so luxurious and who forget God ought to be tortured seven-fold." He said to me "You are foolish, and do not understand the power of torment." "Why, sir," I said, "if I had understood it, I would not have asked you to show me." "Hear," he said, "the power of both. The time of luxury and deceit is one hour; but the hour of torment is equivalent to thirty days. If, accordingly, a man indulge in luxury for one day, and be deceived and be tortured for one day, the day of his torture is equivalent to a whole year. For all the days of luxury, therefore, there are as many years of torture to be undergone. You see, then," he continued, "that the time of luxury and deceit is very short, but that of punishment and torture long."
CHAPTER V.
"Still," I said, "I do not quite understand about the time of deceit, and luxury, and torture; explain it to me more clearly." He answered, and said to me, "Your folly is persistent; and you do not wish to purify your heart, and serve God. Have a care," he added, "lest the time be fulfilled, and you be found foolish. Hear now," he added, "as you desire, that you may understand these things. He who indulges in luxury, and is deceived for one day, and who does what he wishes, is clothed with much foolishness, and does not understand the act which he does until the morrow; for he forgets what he did the day before. For luxury and deceit have no memories, on account of the folly with which they are clothed; but when punishment and torture cleave to a man for one day, he is punished and tortured for a year; for punishment and torture have powerful memories. While tortured and punished, therefore, for a whole year, he remembers at last a his luxury and deceit, and knows that an their account he suffers evil. Every man, therefore, who is luxurious and deceived is thus tormented, because, although having life, they have given themselves over to death." "What kinds of luxury, sir," I asked, "are hurtful?" "Every act of a man which he performs with pleasure," he replied, "is an act of luxury; for the sharp-tempered man, when gratifying his tendency, indulges in luxury; and the adulterer, and the drunkard, and the back-biter, and the liar, and the covetous man, and the thief, and he who does things like these, gratifies his peculiar propensity, and in so doing indulges in luxury. All these acts of luxury are hurtful to the servants of God. On account of these deceits, therefore, do they suffer, who are punished and tortured. And there are also acts of luxury which save men; for many who do good indulge in luxury, being carried away by their own pleasure: this luxury, however, is beneficial to the servants of God, and gains life for such a man; but the injurious acts of luxury before enumerated bring tortures and punishment upon them; and if they continue in them and do not repent, they bring death upon themselves."
Seventh Similitude
THEY WHO REPENT MUST BRING FORTH FRUITS WORTHY OF REPENTANCE.
After a few days I saw him in the same plain where I had also. seen the shepherds; and he said to me, "What do you wish with me?" I said to him, "Sir, that you would order the shepherd who punishes to depart out of my house, because he afflicts me exceedingly." "It is necessary," he replied, "that you be afflicted; for thus," he continued, "did the glorious angel command concerning you, as he wishes you to be tried." "What have I done which is so bad, sir," I replied, "that I should be delivered over to this angel?"
"Listen," he said: "Your sins are many, but not so great as to require that you be delivered over to this angel; but your household has committed great iniquities and sins, and the glorious angel has been incensed at them on account of their deeds; and for this reason he commanded you to be afflicted for a certain time, that they also might repent, and purify themselves from every desire of this world. When, therefore, they repent and are purified, then the angel of punishment will depart." I said to him, "Sir, if they have done such things as to incense the glorious angel against them, yet what have I done?" He replied, "They cannot be afflicted at all, unless you, the head of the house, be afflicted: for when you are afflicted, of necessity they also suffer affliction; but if you are in comfort, they can feel no affliction."
"Well, sir," I said, "they have repented with their whole heart." "I know, too," he answered, "that they have repented with their whole heart: do you think, however, that the sins of those who repent are remitted? Not altogether, but he who repents must torture his own soul, and be exceedingly humble in all his conduct, and be afflicted with many kinds of affliction; and if he endure the afflictions that come upon him, He who created all things, and endued them with power, will assuredly have compassion, and will heal him; and this will He do when He sees the heart of every penitent pure from every evil thing: and it is profitable for you and for your house to suffer affliction now. But why should I say much to you? You must be afflicted, as that angel of the Lord commanded who delivered you to me. And for this give thanks to the Lord, because He has deemed you worthy of showing you beforehand this affliction, that, knowing it before it comes, you may be able to bear it with courage." I said to him, "Sir, be thou with me, and I will be able to bear all affliction." "I will be with you," he said, "and I will ask the angel of punishment to afflict you more lightly; nevertheless, you will be afflicted for a little time, and again you will be re-established in your house. Only continue humble, and serve the Lord in all purity of heart, you and your children, and your house, and walk in my commands which I enjoin upon you, and your repentance will be deep and pure; and if you observe these things with your household, every affliction will depart from you. And affliction," he added, "will depart from all who walk in these my commandments."
Eighth Similitude
THE SINS OF THE ELECT AND OF THE PENITENT ARE OF MANY KINDS, BUT ALL WILL BE REWARDED ACCORDING TO THE MEASURE OF THEIR REPENTANCE AND GOOD WORKS.
CHAPTER I.
He showed me a large willow tree overshadowing plains and mountains, and under the shade of this willow had assembled all those who were called by the name of the Lord. And a glorious angel of the Lord, who was very tall, was standing beside the willow, having a large, pruning-knife, and he was cutting little twigs from the willow and distributing them among the people that were overshadowed by the willow; and the twigs which he gave them were small, about a cubit, as it were, in length. And after they had all received the twigs, the angel laid down the pruning-knife, and that tree was sound, as I had seen it at first. And I marvelled within myself, saying, "How is the tree sound, after so many branches have been cut off?" And the Shepherd said to me, "Do not be surprised if the tree remains sound after so many branches were lopped off; [but wait, ] and when you shall have seen everything, then it will be explained to you what it means." The angel who had distributed the branches among the people again asked them from them, and in the order in which they had received them were they summoned to him, and each one of them returned his branch. And the angel of the Lord took and looked at them. From some he received the branches withered and moth-eaten; those who returned branches in that state the angel of the Lord ordered to stand apart. Others, again, returned them withered, but not moth-eaten; and these he ordered to stand apart. And others returned them half-withered, and these stood apart; and others returned their branches half-withered and having cracks in them, and these stood apart. [And others returned their branches green and having cracks in them; and these stood apart. ] And others returned their branches, one-half withered and the other green; and these stood apart. And others brought their branches two-thirds green and the remaining third withered; and these stood apart. And others returned them two-thirds withered and one-third green; and these stood apart. And others returned their branches nearly all green, the smallest part only, the top, being withered, but they had cracks in them; and these stood apart. And of others very little was green, but the remaining parts withered; and these stood apart. And others came bringing their branches green, as they had received them from the angel. And the majority of the crowd returned branches of that kind, and with these the angel was exceedingly pleased; and these stood apart. [And others returned their branches green and having offshoots; and these stood apart, and with these the angel was exceedingly delighted. ] And others returned their branches green and with offshoots, and the offshoots had some fruit, as it were; and those men whose branches were found to be of that kind were exceedingly joyful. And the angel was exultant because of them; and the Shepherd also rejoiced greatly because of them.
CHAPTER II.
And the angel of the Lord ordered crowns to be brought; and there were brought crowns, formed, as it were, of palms; and he crowned the men who had returned the branches Which had offshoots and some fruit, and sent them away into the tower. And the others also he sent into the tower, those, namely, who had returned branches that were green and had offshoots but no fruit, having given them seals. And all who went into the tower had the same clothing--white as snow. And those who returned their branches green, as they had received them, he set free, giving them clothing and seals. Now after the angel had finished these things, he said to the Shepherd, "I am going away, and you will send these away within the walls, according as each one is worthy to have his dwelling. And examine their branches carefully, and so dismiss them; but examine them with care. See that no one escape you,". he added; "and if any escape you, I will try them at the altar." Having said these words to the Shepherd, he departed. And after the angel had departed, the Shepherd said to me, "Let us take the branches of all these and plant them, and see if any of them will live." I said to him, "Sir, how can these withered branches live?" He answered, and said, "This tree is a willow, and of a kind that is very tenacious of life. If, therefore, the branches be planted, and receive a little moisture, many of them will live. And now let us try, and pour waters upon them; and if any of them live I shall rejoice with them, and if they do not I at least will not be found neglectful." And the Shepherd bade me call them as each one was placed. And they came, rank by rank, and gave their branches to the Shepherd. And the Shepherd received the branches, and planted them in rows; and after he had planted them he poured much water upon them, so that the branches could not be seen for the water; and after the branches had drunk it in, he said to me, "Let us go, and return after a few days, and inspect all the branches; for He who created this tree wishes all those to live who received branches from it. And I also hope that the greater part of these branches which received moisture and drank of the water will live."
CHAPTER III.
I said to him, "Sir, explain to me what this tree means, for I am perplexed about it, because, after so many branches have been cut off, it continues sound, and nothing appears to have been cut away from it. By this, now, I am perplexed." "Listen," he said: "This great tree that casts its shadow over plains, and mountains, and all the earth, is the law of God that was given to the whole world; and this law is the Son of God, proclaimed to the ends of the earth; and the people who are under its shadow are they who have heard the proclamation, and have believed upon Him. And the great and glorious angel Michael is he who has authority over this people, and governs them; for this is he who gave them the law into the hearts of believers: he accordingly superintends them to whom he gave it, to see if they have kept the same. And you see the branches of each one, for the branches are the law You see, accordingly, many branches that have been rendered useless, and you will know them all--those who have not kept the law; and you will see the dwelling of each one." I said to him, "Sir, why did he dismiss some into the tower, and leave others to you?" "All," he answered, "who transgressed the law which they received from him, he left under my power for repentance; but all who have satisfied the law, and kept it, he retains under his own authority." "Who, then," I continued, "are they who were crowned, and who go to the tower?" "These are they who have suffered on account of the law; but the others, and they who returned their branches green, and with offshoots, but without fruit, are they who have been afflicted on account of the law, but who have not suffered nor denied their law; and they who returned their branches green as they had received them, are the venerable, and the just, and they who have walked carefully in a pure heart, and have kept the commandments of the Lord. And the rest you will know when I have examined those branches which have been planted and watered."
CHAPTER IV.
And after a few days we came to the place, and the Shepherd sat down in the angel's place, and I stood beside him. And he said to me, "Gird yourself with pure, undressed linen made of sackcloth;" and seeing me girded, and ready to minister to him, "Summon," he said, "the men to whom belong the branches that were planted, according to the order in which each one gave them in." So I went away to the plain, and summoned them all, and they all stood in their ranks. He said to them, "Let each one pull out his own branch, and bring it to me." The first to give in were those who had them withered and cut; and because they were found to be thus withered and cut, he commanded them to stand apart. And next they gave them in who had them withered, but not cut. And some of them gave in their branches green, and some withered and eaten as by a moth. Those that gave them in green, accordingly, he ordered to stand apart; and those who gave them in dry and cut, he ordered to stand along with the first. Next they gave them in who had them half-withered and cracked; and many of them gave them in green and without crocks; and some green and with offshoots and fruits upon the offshoots, such as they had who went, after being crowned, into the tower. And some handed them in withered and eaten, and some withered and uneaten; and some as they were, half-withered and cracked. And he commanded them each one to stand apart, some towards their own rows, and others apart from them.
CHAPTER V.
Then they gave in their branches who had them green, but cracked: all these gave them in green, and stood in their own row. And the Shepherd was pleased with these, because they were all changed, and had lost their cracks. And they also gave them in who had them half-green and half-withered: of some, accordingly, the branches were found completely green; of others, half-withered; of others, withered and eaten; of others, green, and having offshoots. All these were sent away, each to his own row. [Next they gave in who had them two parts green and one-third withered. Many of them gave them half-withered; and others withered and rotten; and others half-withered and cracked, and a few green. These all stood in their own row. ] And they gave them in who had them green, but to a very slight extent withered and cracked. Of these, some gave them in green, and others green and with offshoots. And these also went away to their own row. Next they gave them who had a very small part green and the other parts withered. Of these the branches were found for the most part green and having offshoots, and fruit upon the offshoots, and others altogether green. With these branches the Shepherd was exceedingly pleased, because they were found in this state. And these went away, each to his own row.
CHAPTER VI.
After the Shepherd had examined the branches of them all, he said to me, "I told you that this tree was tenacious of life. You see," he continued, "how many repented and were saved." "I see, sir," I replied. "That you may behold," he added, "the great mercy of the Lord, that it is great and glorious, and that He has given His Spirit to those who are worthy of repentance." "Why then, sir," I said, "did not all these repent?" He answered, "To them whose heart He saw would become pure, and obedient to Him, He gave power to repent with the whole heart. But to them whose deceit and wickedness He perceived, and saw that they intended to repent hypocritically, He did not grant repentance, lest they should again profane His name." I said to him, "Sir, show me now, with respect to those who gave in the branches, of what sort they are, and their abode, in order that they hearing it who believed, and received the seal, and broke it, and did not keep it whole, may, on coming to a knowledge of their deeds, repent, and receive from you. a seal, and may glorify the Lord because He had compassion upon them, and sent you to renew their spirits." "Listen," he said: "they whose branches were found withered and moth-eaten are the apostates and traitors of the Church, who have blasphemed the Lord in their sins, and have, moreover, been ashamed of the name of the Lord by which they were called. These, therefore, at the end were lost unto God. And you see that not a single one of them repented, although they heard the words which I spake to them, which I enjoined upon you. From such life departed? And they who gave them in withered and undecayed, these also were near to them; for they were hypocrites, and introducers of strange doctrines, and subverters of the servants Of God, especially of those who had sinned, not allowing them to repent, but persuading them by foolish doctrines. These, accordingly, have a hope of repentance. And you see that many of them also have repented since I spake to them, and they will still repent. But all who will not repent have lost their lives; and as many of them as repented became good, and their dwelling was appointed within the first walls; and some of them ascended even into the tower. You see, then," he said, "that repentance involves life to sinners, but non-repentance death.
CHAPTER VII.
"And as many as gave in the branches half-withered and cracked, hear also about them. They whose branches were half-withered to the same extent are the wavering; for they neither live, nor are they dead. And they who have them half-withered and cracked are both waverers and slanderers, [railing against the absent,] and never at peace with one another, but always at variance. And yet to these also," he continued, "repentance is possible. You see," he said, "that some of them have repented, and there is still remaining in them," he continued, "a hope of repentance. And as many of them," he added, "as have repented, shall have their 42
dwelling in the tower. And those of them who have been slower in repenting shall dwell within the walls. And as many as do not repent at all, but abide in their deeds, shall utterly perish. And they who gave in their branches green and cracked were always faithful and good, though emulous of each other about the foremost places, and about fame: now all these are foolish, in indulging in such a rivalry. Yet they also, being naturally good, on hearing my commandments, purified themselves, and soon repented. Their dwelling, accordingly, was in the tower. But if any one relapse into strife, he will be east out of the tower, and will lose his life. Life is the possession of all who keep the commandments of the Lord; but in the commandments there is no rivalry in regard to the first places, or glory of any kind, but in regard to patience and personal humility. Among such persons, then, is the life of the Lord, but amongst the quarrelsome and transgressors, death.
CHAPTER VIII.
"And they who gave in their branches half-green and half-withered, are those who are immersed in business, and do not cleave to the saints. For this reason, the one half of them is living, and the other half dead. Many, accordingly, who heard my commands repented, and those at least who repented had their dwelling in the tower. But some of them at last fell away: these, accordingly, have not repentance, for on account of their business they blasphemed the Lord, and denied Him. They therefore lost their lives through the wickedness which they committed. And many of them doubted. These still have repentance in their power, if they repent speedily; and their abode will be in the tower. But if they are slower in repenting, they will dwell within the walls; and if they do not repent, they too have lost their lives. And they who gave in their branches two-thirds withered and one-third green, are those who have denied [the Lord] in various ways. Many, however, repented, but some of them hesitated and were in doubt. These, then, have repentance within their reach, if they repent quickly, and do not remain in their pleasures; but if they abide in their deeds, these, too, work to themselves death.
CHAPTER IX.
"And they who returned their branches two-thirds withered and one-third green, are those that were faithful indeed; but after acquiring wealth, and becoming distinguished amongst the heathen, they clothed themselves with great pride, and became lofty-minded, and deserted the truth, and did not cleave to the righteous, but lived with the heathen, and this way of life became more agreeable to them. They did not, however, depart from God, but remained in the faith, although not working the works of faith. Many of them accordingly repented, and their dwelling was in the tower. And others continuing to live until the end with the heathen, and being corrupted by their vain glories, [departed from God, serving the works and deeds of the heathen. ] These were reckoned with the heathen. But others of them hesitated, not hoping to be saved on account of the deeds which they had done; while others were in doubt, and caused divisions among themselves. To those, therefore, who were in doubt on account of their deeds, repentance is still open; but their repentance ought to be speedy, that their dwelling may be in the tower. And to those who do not repent, but abide in their pleasures, death is near.
CHAPTER X.
"And they who give in their branches green, but having the tips withered and cracked, these were always good, and faithful, and distinguished before God; but they sinned a very little through indulging small desires, and finding little faults with one another. But on hearing my words the greater part of them quickly repented, and their dwelling was upon the tower. Yet some of them were in doubt; and certain of them who were in doubt wrought greater dissension. Among these, therefore, is hope of repentance, because they were always good; and with difficulty will any one of them perish. And they who gave up their branches withered, but having a very small part green, are those who believed only, yet continue working the works of iniquity. They never, however, departed from God, but gladly bore His name, and joyfully received His servants into their houses. Having accordingly heard of this repentance, they unhesitatingly repented, and practise all virtue and righteousness; and some of them even [suffered, being willingly put to death ]. knowing their deeds which they had done. Of all these, therefore, the dwelling shall be in the tower."
CHAPTER XI.
And after he had finished the explanations of all the branches, he said to me, "Go and tell them to every one, that they may repent, and they shall live unto God. Because the Lord, having had compassion on all men, has sent me to give repentance, although some are not worthy of it on account of their works; but the Lord, being long-suffering, desires those who were called by His Son to be saved." I said to him, "Sir, I hope that all who have heard them will repent; for I am persuaded that each one, on coming to a knowledge of his own works, and fearing the Lord, will repent." He answered me, and said, "All who with their whole heart shall purify themselves from their wickedness before enumerated, and shah add no more to their sins, will receive healing from the Lord for their former transgressions, if they do not hesitate at these commandments; and they will live unto God. But do you walk in my commandments, and live." Having shown me these things, and spoken all these words, he said to me, "And the rest I will show you after a few days."
Ninth Similitude
THE GREAT MYSTERIES IN THE BUILDING OF THE MILITANT AND TRIUMPHANT CHURCH,
CHAPTER I
After I had written down the commandments and similitudes of the Shepherd, the angel of repentance, he came to me and said, "I wish to explain to you what the HOly Spirit that spake with you in the form of the Church showed you, for that Spirit is the Son of God. For, as you were somewhat weak in the flesh, it was not explained to you by the angel. When, however, you were strengthened by the Spirit, and your strength was increased, so that you were able to see the angel also, then accordingly was the building of the tower shown you by the Church. In a noble and solemn manner did you see everything as if shown you by a virgin; but now you see [them] through the same Spirit as if shown by an angel. You must, however, learn everything from me with greater accuracy. For I was sent for this purpose by the glorious angel to dwell in your house, that you might see all things with power, entertaining no fear, even as it was before." And he led me away into Arcadia, to a round hill; and he placed me on the top of the hill, and showed me a large plain, and round about the plain twelve mountains, all having different forms. The first was black as soot; and the second bare, without grass; and the third full of thorns and thistles; and the fourth with grass half-withered, the upper parts of the plants green, and the parts about the roots withered; and some of the grasses, when the sun scorched them, became withered. And the fifth mountain had green grass, and was ragged. And the sixth mountain was quite full of clefts, some small and others large; and the clefts were grassy, but the plants were not very vigorous, but rather, as it were, decayed. The seventh mountain, again, had cheerful pastures, and the whole mountain was blooming, and every kind of cattle and birds were feeding upon that mountain; and the more the cattle and the birds ate, the more the grass of that mountain flourished. And the eighth mountain was full of fountains, and every kind of the Lord's creatures drank of the fountains of that mountain. But the ninth mountain [had no water at all, and was wholly a desert, and had within it deadly serpents, which destroy men. And the tenth mountain ] had very large trees, and was completely shaded, and under the shadow of the trees sheep lay resting and ruminating. And the eleventh mountain was very thickly wooded, and those trees were productive, being adorned with various sons of fruits, so that any one seeing them would desire to eat of their fruits. The twelfth mountain, again, was wholly white, and its aspect was cheerful, and the mountain in itself was very beautiful.
CHAPTER II
And in the middle of the plain he showed me a large white rock that had arisen out of the plain. And the rock was more lofty than the mountains, rectangular in shape, so as to be capable of containing the whole world: and that rock Was old, having a gate cut out of it; and the cutting out of the gate seemed to me as if recently done. And the gate glittered to such a degree under the sunbeams, that I marvelled at the splendour of the gate; and round about the gate were standing twelve virgins. The four who stood at the corners seemed to me more distinguished than the others--they were all, however, distinguished--and they were standing at the four parts of the gate; two virgins between each part. And they were clothed with linen tunics, and gracefully girded, having their right shoulders exposed, as if about to bear some burden. Thus they stood ready; for they were exceedingly cheerful and eager. After I had seen these things, I marvelled in myself, because I was beholding great and glorious sights. And again I was perplexed about the virgins, because, although so delicate, they were standing courageously, as if about to carry the whole heavens. And the Shepherd said to me "Why are you reasoning in yourself, and perplexing your mind, and distressing yourself? for the things which you cannot understand, do not attempt to comprehend, as if you were wise; but ask the Lord, that you may receive understanding and know them. You cannot see what is behind you, but you see what is before. Whatever, then, you cannot see, let alone, and do not torment yourself about it: but what you see, make yourself master of it, and do not waste your labour about other things; and I will explain to you everything that I show you. Look therefore, on the things that remain."
CHAPTER III
I saw six men come, tall, and distinguished, and similar in appearance, and they summoned, a multitude of men. And they who came were also tall men, and handsome, and powerful; and the six men commanded them to build a tower above the rock. And great was the noise of those men who came to build the tower, as they ran hither and thither around the gate. And the virgins who stood around the gate told the men to hasten to build the tower. Now the virgins had spread out their hands, as if about to receive something from the men. And the six men commanded stones to ascend out of a certain pit, and to go to the building of the tower. And there went up ten shining rectangular stones, not hewn in a quarry. And the six men called the virgins, and bade them carry all the stones that were intended for the building, and to pass through the gate, and give them to the men who were about to build the tower. And the virgins put upon one another the ten first stones which had ascended from the pit, and carried them together, each stone by itself.
CHAPTER IV
And as they stood together around the gate, those who seemed to be strong carried them, and they stooped down under the corners of the stone; and the others stooped down under the sides of the stones. And in this way they carried all the stones. And they carried them through the gate as they were commanded, and gave them to the men for the tower; and they took the stones and proceeded with the building. Now the tower was built upon the great rock, and above the gate. Those ten stones were prepared as the foundation for the building of the tower. And the rock and gate were the support of the whole of the tower. And after the ten stones other twenty [five] came up out of the pit, and these were fired into the building of the tower, being carried by the virgins as before. And after these ascended thirty-five. And these in like manner were fitted into the tower. And after these other forty stones came up; and all these were cast into the building of the tower, [and there were four rows in the foundation of the tower, ] and they ceased ascending from the pit. And the builders also ceased for a little. And again the six men commanded the multitude of the crowd to bear stones from the mountains for the building of the tower. They were accordingly brought from all the mountains of various, colours, and being hewn by the men were given to the virgins; and the virgins carried them through the gate, and gave them for the building of the tower. And when the stones of various colours were placed in the building, they all became white alike, and lost their different colours. And certain stones were given by the men for the building, and these did not become shining; but as they were placed, such also were they found to remain: for they were not given by the virgins, nor carried through the gate. These stones, therefore, were not in keeping with the others in the building of the tower. And the six men, seeing these unsuitable stones in the building, commanded them to be taken away, and to be carried away down to their own place whence they had been taken; [and being removed one by one, they were laid aside; and] they say to the men who brought the stones, "Do not ye bring any stones at all for the building, but lay them down beside the tower, that the virgins may carry them through the gate, and may give them for the building. For unless," they said, "they be carried through the gate by the hands of the virgins, they cannot change their colours: do not toil, therefore," they said, "to no purpose."
CHAPTER V
And on that day the building was finished, but the tower was not completed; for additional building was again about to be added, and there was a cessation in the building. And the six men commanded the builders all to withdraw a little distance, and to rest, but enjoined the virgins not to withdraw from the tower; and it seemed to me that the virgins had been left to guard the tower. Now after all had withdrawn, and were resting themselves, I said to the Shepherd, "What is the reason that the building of the tower was not finished? "The tower," he answered, "cannot be finished just yet, until the Lord of it come and examine the building, in order that, if any of the stones be found to be decayed, he may change them: for the tower is built according to his pleasure." "I would like to know, sir," I said, "what is the meaning of the building of this tower, and what the rock and gate, and the mountains, and the virgins mean, and the stones that ascended from the pit, and were not hewn, but came as they were to the building. Why, in the first place, were ten stones placed in the foundation, then twenty-five, then thirty-five, then forty? and I wish also to know about the stones that went to the building, and were again taken out and returned to their own place? On all these points put my mind at rest, sir, and explain them to me." "If you are not found to be curious about trifles," he replied, "you shall know everything. For after a few days [we shall come hither, and you will see the other things that happen to this tower, and will know accurately all the similitudes." After a few days ] we came to the place where we sat down. And he said to me, "Let us go to the tower; for the master of the tower is coming to examine it." And we came to the tower, and there was no one at all near it, save the virgins only. And the Shepherd asked the virgins if perchance the master of the tower had come; and they replied that he was about to come to examine the building.
CHAPTER VI
And, behold, after a little I see an array of many men coming, and in the midst of them one man of so remarkable a size as to overtop the tower. And the six men who had worked upon the building were with him, and many other honourable men were around him. And the virgins who kept the tower ran forward and kissed him, and began to walk near him around the tower. And that man examined the building carefully, feeling every stone separately; and holding a rod in his hand, he struck every stone in the building three times. And when he struck them, some of them became black as soot, and some appeared as if covered with scabs, and some cracked, and some mutilated, and some neither white nor black, and some rough and not in keeping with the other stones, and some having Every many] stains: such were the varieties of decayed stones that were found in the building. He ordered all these to be taken out of the tower, and to be laid down beside it, and other stones to be brought and put in their stead. [And the builders asked him from what mountain he wished them to be brought and put in their place. ] And he did not command them to be brought from the mountains, [but he bade them be brought from a certain plain which was near at hand. ] And the plain was dug up, and shining rectangular stones were found, and some also of a round shape; and all the stones which were in that plain were brought, and carried through the gate by the virgins. And the rectangular stones were hewn, and put in place of those that were taken away; but the rounded stones were not put into the building, because they were hard to hew, and appeared to field slowly to the chisel; they were deposited, however, beside the tower, as if intended to be hewn and used in the building, for they were exceedingly brilliant.
CHAPTER VII
The glorious man, the lord of the whole tower, having accordingly finished these alterations, called to him the Shepherd, and delivered to him all the stones that were lying beside the tower, that had been rejected from the building, and said to him, "Carefully clean all these stones, and put aside such for the building of the tower as may harmonize with the others; and those that do not, throw far away from the tower." [Having given these orders to the Shepherd, he departed from the tower ], with all those with whom he had come. Now the virgins were standing around the tower, keeping it. I said again to the Shepherd, "Can these stones return to the building of the tower, after being rejected?" He answered me, and said, "Do you see these stones?" "I see them, sir," I replied. "The greater part of these stones," he said, "I will hew, and put into the building, and they will harmonize with the others."
"How, sir," I said, "can they, after being cut all round about, fill up the same space?" He answered, "Those that shall be found small will be thrown into the middle of the building, and those that are larger will be placed on the outside, and they will hold them together." Having spoken these words, he said to me, "Let us go, and after two days let us come and clean these stones, and cast them into the building; for all things around the tower must be cleaned, lest the Master come suddenly? and find the places about the tower dirty, and be displeased, and these stones be not returned for the building of the tower, and I also shall seem to be neglectful towards the Master." And after two days we came to the tower, and he said to me, "Let us examine all the stones, and ascertain those which may return to the building." I said to him, "Sir, let us examine them!"
CHAPTER VIII,
And beginning, we first examined the black stones: And such as they had been taken out of the building, were they found to remain; and the Shepherd ordered them to be removed out of the tower, and to be placed apart. Next he examined those that had scabs; and he took and hewed many of these, and commanded the virgins to take them up and cast them into the building. And the virgins lifted them up, and put them in the middle of the building of the tower. And the rest he ordered to be laid down beside the black ones; for these, too, were found to be black. He next examined those that had cracks; and he hewed many of these, and commanded them to be carried by the virgins to the building: and they were placed on the outside, because they were found to be sounder than the others; but the rest, on account of the multitude of the cracks, could not be hewn, and for this reason, therefore, they were rejected from the building of the tower. He next examined the chipped stones, and many amongst these were found to be black, arid some to have great crocks. And these also he commanded to be laid down along with those which had been rejected. But the remainder, after being cleaned and hewn, he commanded to be placed in the building. And the virgins took them up, and fitted them into the middle of the building of the tower, for they were somewhat weak. He next examined those that were half white and half black, and many of them were found to be black. And he commanded these also to be taken away along with those which had been rejected. And the rest were all taken away by the virgins; for, being white, they were fitted by the virgins themselves into the building. And they were placed upon the outside, because they were found to be sound, so as to be able to support those which were placed in the middle, for no part of them at all was chipped. He next examined those that were rough and hard; and a few of them were rejected because they could not be hewn, as they were found exceedingly hard. But the rest of them were hewn, and carried by the virgins, and fitted into the middle of the building of the tower; for they were somewhat weak. He next examined those that had stains; and of these a very few were black, and were thrown aside with the others; but the greater part were found to be bright, and these were fitted by the virgins into the building, but on account of their strength were placed on the outside.
CHAPTER IX
He next came to examine the white and rounded stones, and said to me, "What are we to do with these stones? "How do I know, sir? "I replied. "Have you no intentions regarding them? "Sir," I answered, "I am not acquainted with this art, neither am I a stone-cutter, nor can I tell." "Do you not see," he said, "that they are exceedingly round? and if I wish to make them ractangular, a large portion of them must be cut away; for some of them must of necessity be put into the building." "If therefore," I said, "they must, why do you torment yourself, and not at once choose for the building those which you prefer, and fit them into it?" He selected the larger ones among them, and the shining ones, and hewed them; and the virgins carried and fitted them into the outside parts of the building. And the rest which remained over were carded away, and laid down on the plain from which they were brought. They were not, however, rejected, "because," he said, "there remains yet a little addition to be built to the tower. And the lord of this tower wishes all the stones to be fitted into the building, because they are exceedingly bright." And twelve women were called, very beautiful in form, clothed in black, and with dishevelled hair. And these women seemed to me to be fierce. But the Shepherd commanded them to lift the stones that were rejected from the building, and to carry them away to the mountains from which they had been brought. And they were merry, and carded away all the stones, and put them in the place whence they had been taken. Now after all the stones were removed, and there was no longer a single one lying around the tower, he said, "Let us go round the tower and see, lest there be any defect in it." So I went round the tower along with him. And the Shepherd, seeing that the tower was beautifully built, rejoiced exceedingly; for the tower was built in such a way, that, on seeing it, I coveted the building of it, for it was constructed as if built of one stone, without a single joining. And the stone seemed as if hewn out of the rock; having to me the appearance of a monolith.
CHAPTER X
And as I walked along with him, I was full of joy, beholding so many excellent things. And the Shepherd said to me, "Go and bring unslacked lime and fine-baked clay, that I may fill up the forms of the stones that were taken and thrown into the building; for everything about the tower must be smooth." And I did as he commanded me, and brought it to him. "Assist me," he said, "and the work will soon be finished." He accordingly filled up the forms of the stones that were returned to the building, and commanded the places around the tower to be swept and to be cleaned; and the virgins took brooms and swept the place, and carried all the dirt out of the tower, and brought water, and the ground around the tower became cheerful and very beautiful. Says the Shepherd to me, "Everything has been cleared away; if the lord of the tower come to inspect it, he can have no fault to find with us." Having spoken these words, he wished to depart; but I laid hold of him by the wallet, and began to adjure him by the Lord that he would explain what he had showed me. He said to me, "I must rest a little, and then I shall explain to you everything; wait for me here until I return." I said to him, "Sir, what can I do here alone?" "You are not alone," he said, "for these virgins are with you." "Give me in charge to them, then," I replied. The Shepherd called them to him, and said to them, "I entrust him to you until I come," and went away. And I was alone with the virgins; and they were rather merry, but were friendly to me, especially the four more distinguished of them.
CHAPTER XI
The virgins said to me, "The Shepherd does not come here today." "What, then," said I, "am I to do?" They replied, "Wait for him until he comes; and if he comes he will converse with you, and if he does not come you will remain here with us until he does come." I said to them, "I will wait for him until it is late; and if he does not arrive, I will go away into the house, and come back early in the morning." And they answered and said to me, "You were entrusted to us; you cannot go away from us." "Where, then," I said, "am I to remain? "You will sleep with us," they replied, "as a brother, and not as a husband: for you are our brother, and for the time to come we intend to abide with you, for we love you exceedingly!" But I was ashamed to remain with them. And she who seemed to be the first among them began to kiss me. [And the others seeing her kissing me, began also to kiss me], and to lead me round the tower, and to play with me. And I, too, became like a young man, and began to play with them: for some of them formed a chorus, and others danced, and others sang; and I, keeping silence, walked with them around the tower, and was merry with them. And when it grew late I wished to go into the house; and they would not let me, but detained me. So I remained with them during the night, and slept beside the tower. Now the virgins spread their linen tunics on the ground, and made me lie down in the midst of them; and they did nothing at all but pray; and I without ceasing prayed with them, and not less than they. And the virgins rejoiced because I thus prayed. And I remained there with the virgins until the next day at the second hour. Then the Shepherd returned, and said to the virgins, "Did you offer him any insult? "Ask him," they said. I said to him, "Sir, I was delighted that I remained with them." "On what," he asked, "did you sup? "I supped, sir," I replied, "on the words of the Lord the whole night." "Did they receive you well?" he inquired. "Yes, sir," I answered. "Now," he said, "what do you wish to hear first?" "I wish to hear in the order," I said, "in which you showed me from the beginning. I beg of you, sir, that as I shall ask you, so also you will give me the explanation." "As you wish," he replied, "so also will I explain to you, and will conceal nothing at all from you."
CHAPTER XII
"First of all, sir," I said, "explain this to me: What is the meaning of the rock and the gate?" "This rock," he answered, "and this gate are the Son of God." "How, sir?" I said; "the rock is old, and the gate is new." "Listen," he said, "and understand, O ignorant man. The Son of God is older than all His creatures, so that He was a fellow-councillor with the Father in His work of creation: for this reason is He old." "And why is the gate new, sir?" I said. "Because," he answered, "He became manifest in the last days of the dispensation: for this reason the gate was made new, that they who are to be saved by it might enter into the kingdom of God. You saw," he said, "that those stones which came in through the gate were used for the building of the tower, and that those which did not come, were again thrown back to their own place? "I saw, sir," I replied. "In like manner," he continued, "no one shall enter into the kingdom of God unless he receive His holy name. For if you desire to enter into a city, and that city is surrounded by a wall, and has but one gate, can you enter into that city save through the gate which it has?" "Why, how can it be otherwise, sir?" I said. "If, then, you cannot enter into the city except through its gate, so, in like manner, a man cannot otherwise enter into the kingdom of God than by the name of His beloved Son. You saw," he added, "the multitude who were building the tower?" "I saw them, sir," I said. "Those," he said, "are all glorious angels, and by them accordingly is the Lord surrounded. And the gate is the Son of God. This is the one entrance to the Lord. In no other way, then, shall any one enter in to Him except through His Son. You saw," he continued, "the six men, and the tail and glorious man in the midst of them, who walked round the tower, and rejected the stones from the building? "I saw him, sir," I answered. "The glorious man," he said, "is the Son of God, and those six glorious angels are those who support Him on the right hand and on the left. None of these glorious angels," he continued, "will enter in unto God apart from Him. Whosoever does not receive His name, shall not enter into the kingdom of God."
CHAPTER XIII
"And the tower," I asked, "what does it mean? "This tower," he replied, "is the Church." "And these virgins, who are they?" "They are holy spirits, and men cannot otherwise be found in the kingdom of God unless these have put their clothing upon them: for if you receive the name only, and do not receive from them the clothing, they are of no advantage to you. For these virgins are the powers of the Son of God. If you bear His name but possess not His power, it will be in vain that you bear His name. Those stones," he continued, "which you saw rejected bore His name, but did not put on the clothing of the virgins." "Of what nature is their clothing, sir?" I asked. "Their very names," he said, "are their clothing. Every one who bears the name of the Son of God, ought to bear the names also of these; for the Son Himself bears the names of these virgins. As many stones," he continued, "as you saw [come into the building of the tower through the hands ] of these virgins, and remaining, have been clothed with their strength. For this reason you see that the tower became of one stone with the rock. So also they who have believed on the Lord through His Son, and are clothed with these spirits, shall become one spirit, one body, and the colour of their garments shall be one. And the dwelling of such as bear the names of the virgins is in the tower." "Those stones, sir, that were rejected," I inquired, "on what account were they rejected? for they passed through the gate, and were placed by the hands of the virgins in the building of the tower." "Since you take an interest in everything," he replied, "and examine minutely, hear about the stones that were rejected. These all," he said, "received the name of God, and they received also the strength of these virgins. Having received, then, these spirits, they were made strong, and were with the servants of God; and theirs was one spirit, and one body, and one clothing. For they were of the same mind, and wrought righteousness. After a certain time, however, they were persuaded by the women whom you saw clothed in black, and having their shoulders exposed and their hair dishevelled, and beautiful in appearance. Having seen these women, they desired to have them, and clothed themselves with their strength, and put off the strength of the virgins. These, accordingly, were rejected from the house of God, and were given over to these women. But they who were not deceived by the beauty of these women remained in the house of God. You have," he said, "the explanation of those who were rejected."
CHAPTER XIV
"What, then, sir," I said, "if these men, being such as they are, repent and put away their desires after these women, and return again to the virgins, and walk in their strength and in their works, shall they not enter into the house of God? "They shall enter in," he said, "if they put away the works of these women, and put on again the strength of the virgins, and walk in their works. For on this account was there a cessation in the building, in order that, if these repent, they may depart into the building of the tower. But if they do not repent, then others will come in their place, and these at the end will be cast out. For all these things I gave thanks to the Lord, because He had pity on all that call upon His name; and sent the angel of repentance to us who sinned against Him, and renewed our spirit; and when we were already destroyed, and had no hope of life, He restored us to newness of life." "Now, sir," I continued, "show me why the tower was not built upon the ground, but upon the rock and upon the gate." "Are you still," he said, "without sense and understanding? "I must, sir," I said, "ask you of all things, because I am wholly unable to understand them; for all these things are great and glorious, and difficult for man to understand." "Listen," he said: "the name of the Son of God is great, and cannot be contained, and supports the whole world. If, then, the whole creation is supported by the Son of God, what think ye of those who are called by Him, and bear the name of the Son of God, and walk in His commandments? do you see what kind of persons He supports? Those who bear His name with their whole heart. He Himself, accordingly, became a foundation to them, and supports them with joy, because they are not ashamed to bear His name."
CHAPTER XV.
"Explain to me, sir," I said, "the names of these virgins, and of those women who were clothed in black raiment." "Hear," he said, "the names of the stronger virgins who stood at the comers. The first is Faith, the second Continence, the third Power, the fourth Patience. And the others standing in the midst of these have the following names: Simplicity, Innocence, Purity, Cheerfulness, Truth, Understanding, Harmony, Love. He who bears these names and that of the Son of God will be able to enter into the kingdom of God. Hear, also," he continued, "the names of the women who had the black garments; and of these four are stronger than the rest. The first is Unbelief, the second: Incontinence, the third Disobedience, the fourth Deceit. And their followers are called Sorrow, Wickedness, Wantonness, Anger, Falsehood, Folly, Backbiting, Hatred. The servant of God who bears these names shall see, indeed, the kingdom of God, but shall not enter into it." "And the stones, sir," I said, "which were taken out of the pit and fitted into the building: what are they?" "The first," he said, "the ten, viz, that were placed as a foundation, are the first generation, and the twenty-five the second generation, of righteous men; and the thirty-five are the prophets of God and His ministers; and the forty are the apostles and teachers of the preaching of the Son of God." "Why, then, sir," I asked, "did the virgins carry these stones also through the gate, and give them for the building of the tower?" "Because," he answered, "these were the first who bore these spirits, and they never departed from each other, neither the spirits from the men nor the men from the spirits, but the spirits remained with them until their falling asleep. And unless they had had these spirits with them, they would not have been of use for the building of this tower."
CHAPTER XVI
"Explain to me a little further, sir," I said. "What is it that you desire?" he asked. "Why, sir," I said, "did these stones ascend out of the pit, and be applied to the building of the tower, after having borne these spirits? "They were obliged," he answered, "to ascend through water in order that they might be made alive; for, unless they laid aside the deadness of their life, they could not in any other way enter into the kingdom of God. Accordingly, those also who fell asleep received the seal of the Son of God. For," he continued, "before a man bears the name of the Son of God s he is dead; but when he receives the seal he lays aside his deadness, and obtains life. The seal, then, is the water: they descend into the water dead, and they arise alive. And to them, accordingly, was this seal preached, and they made use of it that they might enter into the kingdom of God." "Why, sir," I asked, "did the forty stones also ascend with them out of the pit, having already received the seal?" "Because," he said, "these apostles and teachers who preached the name of the Son of God, after falling asleep in the power and faith of the Son of God, preached it not only to those who were asleep, but themselves also gave them the seal of the preaching. Accordingly they descended with them into the water, and again ascended. [But these descended alive and rose up again alive; whereas they who had previously fallen asleep descended dead, but rose up again alive. ] By these, then, were they quickened and made to know the name of the Son of God. For this reason also did they ascend with them, and were fitted along with them into the building of the tower, and, untouched by the chisel, were built in along with them. For they slept in righteousness and in great purity, but only they had not this seal. You have accordingly the explanation of these also."
CHAPTER XVII
"I understand, sir," I replied. "Now, sir," I continued, "explain to me, with respect to the mountains, why their forms are various and diverse."
"Listen," he said: "these mountains are the twelve tribes, which inhabit the whole world. The Son of God, accordingly, was preached unto them by the apostles." "But why are the mountains of various kinds, some having one form, and others another? Explain that to me, sir." "Listen," he answered: "these twelve tribes that inhabit the whole world are twelve nations. And they vary in prudence and understanding. As numerous, then, as are the varieties of the mountains which you saw, are also the diversities of mind and understanding among these nations. And I will explain to you the actions of each one." "First, sir," I said, "explain this: why, when the mountains are so diverse, their stones, when placed in the building, became one colour, shining like those also that had ascended out of the pit." "Because," he said, "all the nations that dwell under heaven were called by hearing and believing upon the name of the Son of God. Having, therefore, received the seal, they had one understanding and one mind; and their faith became one, and their love one, and with the name they bore also the spirits of the virgins. On this account the building of the tower became of one colour, bright as the sun. But after they had entered into the same place, and became one body, certain of these defiled themselves, and were expelled from the race of the righteous, and became again what they were before, or rather worse."
CHAPTER XVIII
"How, sir," I said, "did they become worse, after having known God?" "He that does not know God," he answered, "and practises evil, receives a certain chastisement for his wickedness; but he that has known God, ought not any longer to do evil, but to do good. If, accordingly, when he ought to do good, he do evil, does not he appear to do greater evil than he who does not know God? For this reason, they who have not known God and do evil are condemned to death; but they who have known God, and have seen His mighty works, and still continue in evil, shall be chastised doubly, and shall die for ever. In this way, then, will the Church of God be purified. For as you saw the stones rejected from the tower, and delivered to the evil spirits, and cast out thence, so [they also shall be cast out, and ] there shall be one body of the purified; as the tower also became, as it were, of one stone after its purification. In like manner also shall it be with the Church of God, after it has been purified, and has rejected the wicked, and the hypocrites, and the blasphemers, and the waverers, and those who commit wickedness of different kinds. After these have been cast away, the Church of God shall be one body, of one mind, of one understanding, of one faith, of one love. And then the Son of God will be exceeding glad, and shall rejoice over them, because He has received His people pure." "All these things, sir," I said, "are great and glorious.
"Moreover, sir," I said, "explain to me the power and the actions of each one of the mountains, that every soul, trusting in the Lord, and hearing it, may glorify His great, and marvellous, and glorious name." "Hear," he said, "the diversity of the mountains and of the twelve nations.
CHAPTER XIX
"From the first mountain, which was black, they that believed are the following: apostates and blasphemers against the Lord, and betrayers of the servants of God. To these repentance is not open; but death lies before them, and on this account also are they black, for their race is a lawless one. And from the second mountain, which was bare, they who believed are the following: hypocrites, and teachers of wickedness. And these, accordingly, are like the former, not having any fruits of righteousness; for as their mountain was destitute of fruit, so also such men have a name indeed, but are empty of faith, and there is no fruit of truth in them. They indeed have repentance in their power, if they repent quickly; but if they are slow in so doing, they shall die along with the former." "Why, sir," I said, "have these repentance, but the former not? for their actions are nearly the same." "On this account,"
he said, "have these repentance, because they did not blaspheme their Lord, nor become betrayers of the servants of God; but on account of their desire of possessions they became hypocritical, and each one taught according to the desires of men that were sinners. But they will suffer a certain punishment; and repentance is before them, because they were not blasphemers or traitors.
CHAPTER XX
"And from the third mountain, which had thorns and thistles, they who believed are the following. There are some of them rich, and others immersed in much business. The thistles are the rich, and the thorns are they who are immersed in much business. Those, [accordingly, who are entangled in many various kinds of business, do not ] cleave to the servants of God, but wander away, being choked by their business transactions; and the rich cleave with difficulty to the servants of God, fearing lest these should ask something of them. Such persons, accordingly, shall have difficulty in entering the kingdom of God. For as it is disagreeable to walk among thistles with naked feet, so also it is hard for such to enter the kingdom of God.
But to all these repentance, and that speedy, is open, in order that what they did not do in former times they may make up for in these days, and do some good, and they shall live unto God. But if they abide in their deeds, they shall be delivered to those women, who will put them to death.
CHAPTER XXI
"And from the fourth mountain, which had much grass, the upper parts of the plants green, and the parts about the roots withered, and some also scorched by the sun, they who believed are the following: the doubtful, and they who have the Lord upon their lips, but have Him not in their heart. On this account their foundations are withered, and have no strength; and their words alone live, while their works are dead. Such persons are [neither alive nor ] dead. They resemble, therefore, the waverers: for the wavering are neither withered nor green, being neither living nor dead. For as their blades, on seeing the sun, were withered, so also the wavering, when they hear of affliction, on account of their fear, worship idols, and are ashamed of the name of their Lord. Such, then, are neither alive nor dead. But these also may yet live, if they repent quickly; and if they do not repent, they are already delivered to the women, who take away their life.
CHAPTER XXII.
"And from the fifth mountain, which had green grass, and was rugged, they who believed are the following: believers, indeed, but slow to learn, and obstinate, and pleasing themselves, wishing to know everything, and knowing nothing at all. On account of this obstinacy of theirs, understanding departed from them, and foolish senselessness entered into them. And they praise themselves as having wisdom, and desire to become teachers, although destitute of sense. On account, therefore, of this loftiness of mind, many became vain, exalting themselves: for self-will and empty confidence is a great demon. Of these, accordingly, many were rejected, but some repented and believed, and subjected themselves to those that had understanding, knowing their own foolishness. And to the rest of this class repentance is open; for they were not wicked, but rather foolish, and without understanding. If these therefore repent, they will live unto God; but if they do not repent, they shall have their dwelling with the women who wrought wickedness among them.
CHAPTER XXIII.
"And those from the sixth mountain, which had clefts large and small, and decayed grass in the clefts, who believed, were the following: they who occupy the small clefts are those who bring charges against one another, and by reason of their slanders have decayed in the faith. Many of them, however, repented; and the rest also will repent when they hear my commandments, for their slanders are small, and they will quickly repent. But they who occupy the large clefts are persistent in their slanders, and vindictive in their anger against each other. These, therefore, were thrown away from the tower, and rejected from having a part in its building. Such persons, accordingly, shall have difficulty in living. If our God and Lord, who rules over all things, and has power over all His creation, does not remember evil against those who confess their sins, but is merciful, does man, who is corruptible and full of sins, remember evil against a fellow-man, as if he were able to destroy or to save him? I, the angel of repentance, say unto you, As many of you as are of this way of thinking, lay it aside, and repent, and the Lord will heal your former sins, if you purify yourselves from this demon; but if not, you will be delivered over to him for death.
CHAPTER XXIV.
"And those who believed from the seventh mountain, on which the grass was green and flourishing, and the whole of the mountain fertile, and every kind of cattle and the fowls of heaven were feeding on the grass on this mountain, and the grass on which they pastured became more abundant, were the following: they were always simple, and harmless, and blessed, bringing no charges against one another, but always rejoicing greatly because of the servants of God, and being clothed with the holy spirit of these virgins, and always having pity on every man, and giving aid from their own labour to every man, without reproach and without hesitation. The Lord, therefore, seeing their simplicity and all their meekness, multiplied them amid the labours of their hands, and gave them grace in all their doings. And I, the angel of repentance, say to you who are such, Continue to be such as these, and your seed will never be blotted out; for the Lord has made trial of you, and inscribed you in the number of us, and the whole of your seed will dwell with the Son of God; for ye have received of His Spirit.
CHAPTER XXV.
"And they who believed from the eighth mountain, where were the many fountains, and where all the creatures of God drank of the fountains, were the following: apostles, and teachers, who preached to the whole world, and who taught solemnly and purely the word of the Lord, and did not at all fall into evil desires, but walked always in righteousness and truth, according as they had received the Holy Spirit. Such persons, therefore, shall enter in with the angels.
CHAPTER XXVI.
"And they who believed from the ninth mountain, which was deserted, and had in it creeping things and wild beasts which destroy men, were the following: they who had the stains as servants, who discharged their duty ill, and who plundered widows and orphans of their livelihood, and gained possessions for themselves from the ministry, which they had received. If, therefore, they remain under the dominion of the same desire, they are dead, and there is no hope of life for them; but if they repent, and finish their ministry in a holy manner, they shall be able to live. And they who were covered with scabs are those who have denied their Lord, and have not returned to Him again; but becoming withered and desert-like, and not cleaving to the servants of God, but living in solitude, they destroy their own souls. For as a vine, when left within an enclosure, and meeting with neglect, is destroyed, and is made desolate by the weeds, and in time grows wild, and is no longer of any use to its master, so also are such men as have given themselves up, and become useless to their Lord, from having contracted savage habits. These men, therefore, have repentance in their power, unless they are found to have denied from the heart; but if any one is found to have denied from the heart, I do not know if he may live. And I say this not for these present days, in order that any one who has denied may obtain repentance, for It is impossible for him to be saved who now intends to deny his Lord; but to those who denied Him long ago, repentance seems to be possible. If, therefore, any one intends to repent, let him do so quickly, before the tower is completed; for if not, he will be utterly destroyed by the women. And the chipped stones are the deceitful and the slanderers; and the wild beasts. which you saw on the ninth mountain, are the same. For as wild beasts destroy and kill a man by their poison, so also do the words of such men destroy and ruin a man. These, accordingly, are mutilated in their faith, on account of the deeds which they have done in themselves; yet some repented, and were saved. And the rest, who are of such a character, can be saved if they repent; but if they do not repent, they will perish with those women, whose strength they have assumed.
CHAPTER XXVII.
"And from the tenth mountain, where were trees which overshadowed certain sheep, they who believed were the following: bishops given to hospitality, who always gladly received into their houses the servants of God, without dissimulation. And the bishops never failed to protect, by their service, the widows, and those who were in want, and always maintained a holy conversation. All these, accordingly, shall be protected by the Lord for ever. They who do these things are honourable before God, and their place is already with the angels, if they remain to the end serving God.
CHAPTER XXVIII.
"And from the eleventh mountain, where were trees full of fruits, adorned with fruits of various kinds, they who believed were the following: they who suffered for the name of the Son of God, and who also suffered cheerfully with their whole heart, and laid down their lives." "Why, then, sir," I said, "do all these trees bear fruit, and some of them fairer than the rest? "Listen," he said: "all who once suffered for the name of the Lord are honourable before God; and of all these the sins were remitted, because they suffered for the name of the Son of God. And why their fruits are of various kinds, and some of them superior, listen. All," he continued, "who were brought before the authorities and were examined, and did not deny, but suffered cheerfully--these are held in greater honour with God, and of these the fruit is superior; but all who were cowards, and in doubt, and who reasoned in their hearts whether they would deny or confess, and yet suffered, of these the fruit is less, because that suggestion came into their hearts; for that suggestion--that a servant should deny his Lord--is evil. Have a care, therefore, ye who are planning such things, lest that suggestion remain in your hearts, and ye perish unto God. And ye who suffer for His name ought to glorify God, because He deemed you worthy to bear His name, that all your sins might be healed. [Therefore, rather deem yourselves happy], and think that ye have done a great thing, if any of you suffer on account of God. The Lord bestows upon you life, and ye do not understand, for your sins were heavy; but if you had not suffered for the name of the Lord, ye would have died to God on account of your sins. These things I say to you who are hesitating about denying or confessing: acknowledge that ye have the Lord, lest, denying Him, ye be delivered up to prison. If the heathen chastise their slaves, when one of them denies his master, what, think ye, will your Lord do, who has authority over all men? Put away these counsels out of your hearts, that you may live continually unto God.
CHAPTER XXIX.
"And they who believed from the twelfth mountain, which was white, are the following: they are as infant children, in whose hearts no evil originates; nor did they know what wickedness is, but always remained as children. Such accordingly, without doubt, dwell in the kingdom of God, because they defiled in nothing the commandments of God; but they remained like children all the days of their life in the same mind. All of you, then, who shall remain stedfast, and be as children, without doing evil, will be more honoured than all who have been previously mentioned; for all infants are honourable before God, and are the first persons with Him. Blessed, then, are ye who put away wickedness from yourselves, and put on innocence. As the first of all will you live unto God."
After he had finished the similitudes of the mountains, I said to him, "Sir, explain to me now about the stones that were taken out of the plain, and put into the building instead of the stones that were taken out of the tower; and about the round stones that were put into the building; and those that still remain round."
CHAPTER XXX.
"Hear," he answered, "about all these also. The stones taken out of the plain and put into the building of the tower instead of those that were rejected, are the roots of this white mountain. When, therefore, they who believed from the white mountain were all found guileless, the Lord of the tower commanded those from the roots of this mountain to be cast into the building of the tower; for he knew that if these stones were to go to the building of the tower, they would remain bright, and not one of them become black. But if he had so resolved with respect to the other mountains, it would have been necessary for him to visit that tower again, and to cleanse it. Now all these persons were found white who believed, and who will yet believe, for they are of the same race. This is a happy race, because it is innocent. Hear now, further, about these round and shining stones. All these also are from the white mountain. Hear, moreover, why they were found round: because their riches had obscured and darkened them a little from the truth, although they never departed from God; nor did any evil word proceed out of their mouth, but all justice, virtue, and truth. When the Lord, therefore, saw the mind of these persons, that they were born good, and could be good, He ordered their riches to be cut down, not to be taken s away for ever, that they might be able to do some good with what was left them; and they will live unto God, because they are of a good race. Therefore were they rounded a little by the chisel, and put in the building of the tower.
CHAPTER XXXI.
"But the other round stones, which had not yet been adapted to the building of the tower, and had not yet received the seal, were for this reason put back into their place, because they are exceedingly round. Now this age must be cut down in these things, and in the vanities of their riches, and then they will meet in the kingdom of God; for they must of necessity enter into the kingdom of God, because the Lord has blessed this innocent race. Of this race. therefore, no one will perish; for although any of them be tempted by the most wicked devil, and commit sin, he will quickly return to his Lord.
I deem you happy, I, who am the messenger of repentance, whoever of you are innocent as children, because your part is good, and honourable before God.
Moreover, I say to you all, who have received the seal of the Son of God, be clothed with simplicity, and be not mindful of offences, nor remain in wickedness. Lay aside, therefore, the recollection of your offences and bitternesses, and you will be formed in one spirit. And heal and take away from you those wicked schisms, that if the Lord of the flocks come, He may rejoice concerning you. And He will rejoice, if He find all things sound, and none of you shall perish. But if He find any one of these sheep strayed, woe to the shepherds! And if the shepherds themselves have strayed, what answer will they give Him for their flocks? Will they perchance say that they were harassed by their flocks? They will not be believed, for the thing is incredible that a shepherd could suffer from his flock; rather will he be punished on account of his falsehood. And I myself am a shepherd, and I am under a most stringent necessity of rendering an account of you.
CHAPTER XXXII.
"Heal yourselves, therefore, while the tower is still building. The Lord dwells in men that love peace, because He loved peace; but from the contentious and the utterly wicked He is far distant. Restore to Him, therefore, a spirit sound as ye received it. For when you have given to a fuller a new garment, and desire to receive it back entire at the end, if, then, the fuller return you a torn garment, will you take it from him, and not rather be angry, and abuse him, saying, 'I gave you a garment that was entire:
why have you rent it, and made it useless, so that it can be of no use on account of the rent which you have made in it?' Would you not say all this to the fuller about the rent which you found in your garment? If, therefore, you grieve about your garment, and complain because you have not received it entire, what do you think the Lord will do to you, who gave you a sound spirit, which you have rendered altogether useless, so that it can be of no service to its possessor? for its use began to be unprofitable, seeing it was corrupted by you. Will not the Lord, therefore, because of this conduct of yours regarding His Spirit, act in the same way, and deliver you over to death? Assuredly, I say, he will do the same to all those whom He shall find retaining a recollection of offences. Do not trample His mercy under foot, He says, but rather honour Him, because He is so patient with your sins, and is not as ye are. Repent, for it is useful to you.
CHAPTER XXXIII.
"All these things which are written above, I, the Shepherd, the messenger of repentance, have showed and spoken to the servants of God. If therefore ye believe, and listen to my words, and walk in them, and amend your ways, you shall have it in your power to live: but if you remain in wickedness, and in the recollection of offences, no sinner of that class will live unto God. All these words which I had to say have been spoken unto you."
The Shepherd said to me," Have you asked me everything?" And I replied, "Yes, sir." "Why did you not ask me about the shape of the stones that were put into the building, that I might explain to you why we filled up the shapes?" And I said, "I forgot, sir." "Hear now, then," he said, "about this also. These are they who have now heard my commandments, and repented with their whole hearts. And when the Lord saw that their repentance was good and pure, and that they were able to remain in it, He ordered their former sins to be blotted out. For these shapes were their sins, and they were levelled down, that they might not appear."
Tenth Similitude
CONCERNING REPENTANCE AND ALMS-GIVING.
CHAPTER I.
After I had fully written down this book, that messenger who had delivered me to the Shepherd came into the house in which I was, and sat down upon a couch, and the Shepherd stood on his fight hand. He then called me, and spoke to me as follows: "I have delivered you and your house to the Shepherd, that you may be protected by him." "Yes, sir," I said. "If you wish, therefore, to be protected," he said, from all annoyance, and from all harsh treatment, and to have success in every good work and word, and to possess all the virtues of righteousness, walk in these commandments which he has given you, and you will be able to subdue all wickedness. For if you keep those commandments, every desire and pleasure of the world will be subject to you, and success will attend you in every good work. Take unto yourself his experience and moderation, and say to all that he is in great honour and dignity with God, and that he is a president with great power, and mighty in his office. To him alone throughout the whole world is the power of repentance assigned. Does he seem to you to be powerful? But you despise his experience, and the moderation which he exercises towards you."
CHAPTER II.
I said to him, "Ask himself, sir, whether from the time that he has entered my house I have done anything improper, or have offended him in any respect." He answered, "I also know that you neither have done nor will do anything improper, and therefore I speak these words to you, that you may persevere. For he had a good report of you to me, and you will say these words to others, that they also who have either repented or will still repent may entertain the same feelings with you, and he may report well of these to me, and I to the Lord." And I said, "Sir, I make known to every man the great works of God: and I hope that all those who love them, and have sinned before, on heating these words, may repent, and receive life again." "Continue, therefore, in this ministry, and finish it. And all who follow out his commands shall have life, and great honour with the Lord. But those who do not keep his commandments, flee from his life, and despise him. But he has his own honour with the LOrd. All, therefore, who shall despise him, and not follow his commands, deliver themselves to death, and every one of them will be guilty of his own blood.
But I enjoin you, that you obey his commands, and you will have a cure for your former sins.
CHAPTER III.
"Moreover, I sent you these virgins, that they may dwell with you. For I saw that they were courteous to you. You will therefore have them as assistants, that you may be the better able to keep his commands: for it is impossible that these commandments can be observed without these virgins. I see, moreover, that they abide with you willingly; but I will also instruct them not to depart at all from your house: do you only keep your house pure, as they will delight to dwell in a pure abode. For they are pure, and chaste, and industrious, and have all influence with the Lord. Therefore, if they find your house to be pure, they will remain with you; but if any defilement, even a little, befall it, they will immediately withdraw from your house. For these virgins do not at all like any defilement." I said to him, "I hope, sir, that I will please them, so that they may always be willing to inhabit my house. And as he to whom you entrusted me has no complaint against me, so neither will they have." He said to the Shepherd, "I see that the servant of God wishes to live, and to keep these commandments, and will place these virgins in a pure habitation." When he had spoken these words he again delivered me to the Shepherd, and called those virgins, and said to them, "Since I see that you are willing to dwell in his house, I commend him and his house to you, asking that you withdraw not at all from it." And the virgins heard these words with pleasure.
CHAPTER IV
The angel then said to me, "Conduct yourself manfully in this service, and make known to every one the great things of God, and you will have favour in this ministry. Whoever, therefore, shall walk in these commandments, shall have life, and will be happy in his life; but whosoever shall neglect them shall not have life, and will be unhappy in this life. Enjoin all, who are able to act rightly, not to cease well-doing; for, to practise good works is useful to them. And I say that every man ought to be saved from inconveniences. For both he who is in want, and he who suffers inconveniences in his daily life, is in great torture and necessity. Whoever, therefore, rescues a soul of this kind from necessity, will gain for himself great joy. For he who is harassed by inconveniences of this kind, suffers equal torture with him who is in chains. Moreover many, on account of calamities of this sort, when they could not endure them, hasten their own deaths. Whoever, then, knows a calamity of this kind afflicting a man, and does not save him, commits a great sin, and becomes guilty of his blood. Do good works, therefore, ye who have received good from the Lord; lest, while ye delay to do them, the building of the tower be finished, and you be rejected from the edifice: there is now no other tower a-building. For on your account was the work of building suspended. Unless, then, you make haste to do rightly, the tower will be completed, and you will be excluded."
After he had spoken with me he rose up from the couch, and taking the Shepherd and the virgins, he departed. But he said to me that he would send back the Shepherd and the virgins to my dwelling. Amen.
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