Chapter 12

1THAT BISHOPS OUGHT TO BE PEACEMAKERS, MEN OP MERCY, WHO PARDON HIM THAT HATH TRESPASSED AGAINST THEM, AND RECEIVE 1 THE REPENTANCE OF THOSE THAT TURN TO GOD; AND IF THEY DO NOT THUS THEY SHALL NOT BE CALLED BISHOPS, BUT EVIL. . a But if the bishop pray for peace upon others, shall he not much more then be peaceable himself that he be not a son of darkness, and* that he may be called a son of light?‘ And if in himself there be no peace, how then can he give (peace) to others? Wherefore the beginning of all his work must needs be peace,® without evil or hatred; but in love and in peace let him* feed the sheep of Christ. Especially let him guard them as a faithful friend, that they may be saved together and become one flock. But let evil men, who work iniquity and (cause) hatred and trouble, be far from God. [ii., 55-] For the Lord the God of mercy desired to bring back all generations to repentance by the teaching of the Holy Spirit, and the righteous, and the prophets.’ For before the flood the people lived according to the teaching of Abel and the admonition of Abel,*® and Seth, and Enoch, who ascended to heaven; and those that were after the flood, Noah taught; and those of Sodom, Lot the lover of strangers taught. And after Lot (men were taught) by Melchizedek, and the patriarchs,” and Job the lover of God; and the Egyptians and the children of Israel by the commandments of Moses, and Joshua the son of Nun, and Caleb, and Phinehas, and those (that were) after them; and after the law by the admonition of angels and prophets; and after these (came) our Lord, who became incarnate and '® was made man of our Lady '' the Holy Virgin Mary; and, after John the Baptist was cast into prison, He preached, saying, ‘Repent ye, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” And after He had suffered on the Cross, He commanded us, even us His !? twelve apostles to preach along with our good brother Paul. We are they to whom He hath granted" that we should be witnesses concerning His Son our Lord Jesus Christ. And moreover (there are) with us James, the brother of our Lord, and the seven deacons. We have heard from His mouth ™ the word of life, and have believed and known that He is Jesus Christ, in whom the Lord'® the Father is well pleased. We declare unto you perfectly that which we have heard '* from Him that none that believeth in Him’? shall perish. To Him let us offer up praise with one voice that we may obtain life eternal. Thus our Lord hath commanded us, When we pray to the Father, saying, Thy will be done, as in heaven, so also on earth; that as ** the hosts of heavenly and spiritual ones glorify , so every creature on carth t may glorify t'® the One God by His onlybegotten Son our Lord and our God and our Saviour Jesus Christ. This, then, is His good pleasure that we should glorify Him and bless Him with one mind, and worship Him with one spirit. This is the good pleasure of Christ, that those that are saved should be many, and that not one of them should perish, nor the Church be diminished. Slay not the soul which hath been made alive through repentance, for it hath been saved from indignation and anger. But do ye in the beauty of your patience fulfil every word of the Scriptures. But if ye scatter the sheep of His flock, ye shall be enemies of God.?° Destroy not the lambs that Christ hath fed. Be of good understanding, then, O bishop, lest by thine occasion the sheep of Christ’s flock be scattered, whom we have gathered by the preaching of tongues from every quarter, by toil, and by weariness, and by sorrow, and by watching, and by hunger, and by thirst and labour journeyings, and by persecutions, and by affliction, and by imprisonment. And behold 2! we have done the yood pleasure of God, and have filled with plants 2? the house which is the holy congregation, the Church of God. Those that are called thereinto rejoice and are glad, glorifying and blessing God, even those that have been called by you unto life eternal. And ye also, O people, work amongst you (the works of) love and peace, that ye may walk in the Church 2* of God with one heart. And for this ye shall obtain a good reward from God. [ii., 57-] But be thou, O bishop, holy,?4 without the imperfect. It seems neces- ™" ?—P adds: thus. sary to read the subjunctive as 23 Te, neophytes. 2° Pp if thou scatterest 2¢ P omits: holy. blemish, and do not that which is unseemly, nor be Passionate, nor deceitful, nor of evil-disposition, but be a teacher and helper of those that perish, and a counsellor of good; and confirm the people as a man of God. And when ye are gathered together in the church, command them to walk in the good way as a wise ship-master. And command the deacons to be as the sailors, that they may make the brethren to sit down each one in his own place, as befitteth in righteousness and purity, for they are together with you in one ship. Let the length, then, of the church be towards the East; and (let there be) two porches in its sides after the likeness of a ship; and let the throne of the bishop be set in the midst. Then let the presbyters 7* sit on his right hand and on his left: and let the deacons also stand ready to serve with their garments girt up like sailors. But let the people sit in their places in fear and trembling; and in like manner let the women sit by themselves in silence. And let the reader also stand in (his) place,?* and read the books of Moses, and of Joshua the son of Nun, and of the Judges, and the Kings, and the Chronicles, and the books after the captivity return from Babylon, Job and Solomon, and the fifteen prophets. And t after they have read t ?” from the books two at a time, one shall rise up and sing praises in the words of David, and the people shall answer with praises. Then they shall read the Acts of the Apostles and the - Epistles of our brother Paul, our beloved fellowlabourer, which he wrote, and sent to all the churches by the help of the Holy Spirit. And after this let the presbyters or the deacons ®* read the Gospel which we have given unto you, even I Matthew and John, and which Luke and Mark, the fellow-labourers of the renowned Paul, have proclaimed, which they have appointed for you. And when ® fhe Gospel is read, let °5 P priests. and P read: and then they shall this slight alteration. Both A 3° P adds: he standeth when. the presbyters and the deacons and all the people stand in great fear; for it is written, ‘Be silent, O Israel, and hearken.” Then let the presbyters stand 5! one by one, and confirm the people; and afterwards the bishop that he may save them by (his) admonition. And next let the doorkeepers stand where the men come in, and set them in their places: let the deaconess in like manner make the women stand in their places. If any man *? be found standing in a place which is not his, let the deacons put him to shame, and then bring him back to his own place; for the deacons are like the sailors, and the church like a ship. Howbeit it is not a ship, but a flock of sheep. Now shepherds separate the sheep from the goats, and place them according to their kinds and according to their divisions; and in like manner let the people be found together in the church according to their classes. Let the young men stand by themselves; but if there be no place to contain them, let them stand with (the rest of) the people, And let the old men sit °° by themselves, and let the children sit in front of their fathers, these taking care of them. And let the maidens sit by themselves; but if there be no place, let them stand behind the married women. And let the virgins and the widows and the elder women stand before all the (other) women.** And let those that have husbands and children sit by themselves. The deacons should arrange them one by one; and let no one pass over into his neighbour’s seat. And let him mark the conduct and behaviour of the people in church, lest they sleep or be slothful in prayer; but let him watch them, and if any be found laughing or talking foolishly, let him admonish them and cause them to be silent. We ought, then, to stand in the church in fear and trembling, and to set our thoughts to hearken to the word of the Scriptures. tt And when the catechumens and those that are under penance have *2P women (with pronouns ** P omits this whole senfollowing in the feminine). Pl tence. departed t °° let all the people rise up and look towards the East, and pray unto God, who is in every place. to bring them back to their former place, unto the garden of joy, from which the first man went forth, when he consented to the counsel of the Serpent, and transgressed the commandment of God. And after this let the presbyters** rise up and offer the sacrifice to God with fear and trembling. Then let the ministers rise and command them to keep silence; and let the deacon who standeth at the right hand *” of the bishop say thus to the people, Let no man harbour in his heart revenge, or hatred,** or envy against his neighbour. Then let the men ** salute one another with a holy kiss; and in like manner let the women salute one another. Howbeit salute not one another with guile like Judas Iscariot, who kissed our Lord and betrayed Him wickedly.*° And after this let the deacon pray, and make supplication for the whole world, and 4! all that is therein, for the fruits of the ground, for the king, for the priests, for the rulers, for the chief priests, for the peace of the holy Apostolic Church. And after this let the chief priest make supplication and entreaty that peace may be upon the people. Then let him bless them, as Moses cémmanded the priests to bless the people, saying thus, “The Lord bless thee, and keep thee, and make his face to shine on thee, and have mercy upon thee,‘? and give thee peace.” 49 And after this let the bishop make supplication, and say, Save Thy people, and bless Thine heritage; feed them and lift them up for ever. Thou hast purchased and redeemed by Thy precious Blood Thy Holy Church *4 intended to give the sense of the clause now found in A and Pr. As the clause stands it implies that catechumens and penitents were allowed to remain for the missa fidelium. through our Lord Jesus Christ, Who hath called her to be a congregation of kings and priests, a pure family, a holy people. And after that the priests have taken up the mysteries, let them take heed lest (any) enter who are not of the faithful. And then let the men *® stand up, and the women also,‘*® veiling their heads, let them put forth their hands, and pray for pardon, receive His holy ‘’ Flesh and precious ood. And if any brethren or sisters come from a distant place, let the deacon enquire into their lives, and get knowledge of their faith. And if they have the tokens of the right faith,** let him permit ¢* them to enter the church; but if they are unbelievers, let him not permit them to enter. And if a presbyter come from a distant place, let the presbyters receive him; and in like manner the deacons.*® And if a bishop come, a stranger, let the bishop, who is like unto him, receive him, and let him sit with him, and let (the bishop) show him honour. Then let him ask him to teach and admonish*! the people; ** for it is said, “A prophet is not had in honour in his own city.” °° Entreat him** to offer up the sacrifice. But if, by reason of fear, he refuseth,®® let them all the more entreat him to bestow a blessing on the people. And if there be one that cometh to thee, a stranger, or one of the men of the place, clothed in goodly apparel, full of grace, do thou, O bishop, declare unto him the word of God. And when thou hearest them teaching °* or reading the Scriptures, cease not the work of thy ministry.°7 The brethren ought to receive strangers,°* 5§ P he desireth not to offer up the sacrifice. and magnify and honour them. But if there be one (who is) haughty, and (who) honoureth not a stranger, let the deacon coming admonish him, and set him behind (the rest of) the people, that others, when they see, may fear. And if there come unto you poor men, whether young or old,** let the deacon receive them with a glad heart, and set them each one in his place, as befitteth, without respect of persons, but (so) that your service be that which is well pleasing to God. And let the deaconess also do in like manner with the women, whether rich or poor. Admonish, then, O bishop, thy people, and bid them come to the church day and night, and never absent themselves from it, that the congregation therein be not diminished, for they are members of Christ. And we say this not concerning the priests alone, but concerning all the people, that each one may understand the word of the Lord. For our Lord saith, “But he that is not with me is mine adversary, and he that gathereth not with me scattereth.” *° Be not slothful, then, for ye are members of Christ; separate not yourselves from His Body and His Blood; *' nor choose the cares of this world before the commandments of God. Gather yourselves together in the church in the evening and in the morning; glorify God,*? and sing, and read the Psalms of David, the sixty-second, and the hundred and fortieth as well. And especially on the Christian Sabbath.** which is (the day of) His holy resurrection, offer praise and thanksgiving and honour to God, who created all things by His Son Jesus Christ, whom He sent unto us; who was well pleased to suffer according to His will, and was buried in the earth,** and rose again from the dead. But if ye come not to the church, what excuse, or what answer will ye make to God? For on this day, the Christian Sabbath, we ought to hear the preaching of His holy resurrection, and remember His sufferings, and make remembrance of Him, and read the Scriptures of the prophets, and the *> Gospel ; and (celebrate) the eucharist, the sacrifice, and ** oblation, (our) spiritual food. [ii., Go.] But if ye watch not day and night,*’ and do not according as we say, ye are transgressors against God, and enemjes unto Him,** for ye have chosen pleasure, eating and drinking, and delights, that wax old and perish, and ye have forsaken that which waxeth not old, nor perisheth.*® And to them that do such things God saith, “The foolish people ’° are better than you”; as He reproached” Jerusalem, and said unto her, “Sodom is better than thou.” 7? Behold, then, let us look at the foolish Gentiles. Every day, when they awake and rise from sleep, they betake them forthwith to those gods that ’* profit not, and they worship them, and make supplication to them concerning their needs ; and they gather themselves together, great and small, on their feast-days, and not these alone, but others also come from distant places, and worship and serve them. And the foolish Jews, though ungodly unbelieving, yet work six days, and rest on the seventh day. Then they gather themselves together in the synagogues, and keep a feast to idols, and magnify them, and honour them that have no life, nor spirit, and (that) profit not at all. Howbeit they vaunt themselves, and say, We are Jews. But if these " do thus, and gather themselves together at all times, and in ’° folly serve those in whom is no profit, how is it then that ye who have received grace from the Lord God, are slothful, and neglect the service of the church? If ye keep far from the church, ye shall lose your hope, and abandon your salvation, and become ungodly, + ye who f 7° turn aside from that which is good, and become ™ evil. Behold the Lord said by 7 Jeremiah the prophet, “I‘or my people have forsaken my law which I set before their face, and have not heard myvoice, but have gone and have followed the desire 7° of their own hearts, and have followed idols, as their fathers taught them.” *° And moreover it is said, “Rebellious Israel hath justified herself more than treacherous Judah,” *! and, ‘“ Their shepherds have led them to the mountains, and driven them away; and they wander on the hills.” 2 What excuse do they make who are slothful ** to go to the church, and go out therefrom at the time of prayer? At what time shall they hear of the salvation of their souls? and what answer shall they give to God? Understand, then, that the service of the faithful (which) abideth with them ** in truth, is this, the worship of God. Let not your work and your toil be of ** the cares of this transitory world, which waxeth old and perisheth,** but let your thoughts be toward God. Even as our Lord saith, “Take no thought for transitory meat that waxeth old and perisheth,*’ but for the meat that endureth unto life eternal.” ** And moreover He saith, ‘‘The work which pleaseth God is this that ye believe in him whom he hath sent unto you.” °° Take heed, then, that ye keep not far from the church of God, nor follow the steps of the ungodly and unbelievers, and the worshippers of idols, and the congregation of the Jews. And go not toa temple of devils, nor have fellowship with Christ’s murderers, nor enter into a congregation of the ungodly. Have ye *° not heard that which is said, “I have not sat in the assembly of vanity, nor have I gone in with evil-doers : I have hated the congregation of the wicked, and I will not sit with the deceitful and evil-doers ’’? ®! And again it is said, “Blessed is the man that hath not walked in the counsel of the ungodly, and that hath not stood in the way of sinners, and that hath not sat in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and on his law he meditated day and night.” *? But behold thou hast left the congregation of the faithful, and hast despised the Church of God, and hast not kept His law and His ordinance; but hast followed the way of robbers, and hast counted the unclean as clean, and hast become a companion of those that were separated from thee, and hast made thy dwelling with ** the heathen, and hast inclined thine ear unto the words of the theatre, which are full of all uncleanness and vanity, wherein is no profit. And thou hast refused to hearken to the words of Jeremiah the prophet,** who saith, ‘‘O Lord, I have not sat on the seat of judgment with injustice, but I am afraid before thy face.”** Wherefore desirest thou to hear the words of the dead heathen, who were wounded through sin, by the works of the devil, slay the man who followeth them, and draw him away from the right faith, and make him to serve many gods? But do not ye thus, but keep the commandments of God, and choose for yourselves life. And above all seek after the law of the Church of the Lord, which Christ, His beloved Son, who was before the world was created, hath purchased with His °* Blood. For His *? Church is the Daughter of the Most High, she who strengtheneth our hearts, and bringeth us near to God, that we may find a place with Him; for we are His members and His evil-doers. ** P adds : precious. 7" Ps 1, if. *’ P the. friends. Let us, then, be good and pure, without uncleanness, and perfect*® in the right faith and in every good work.®*