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59. That everyone should be diligent about the gatherings at dawn and evening. 60. The vain concourse of the Greeks and Jews to the temples and synagogues as an example leading to zeal. 61. That it is not holy to prefer private matters to divine ones. Concerning indifference; and that the faithful should not run together to Jewish synagogues or heretics' oratories or Greek spectacles. 62. That one must turn away from all the impieties of the Greeks. 63. That none of the faithful should eat idle; as those with Peter were fishermen, and the other apostles, and those with Paul and Aquila were tentmakers, and those with Judas of James were workers of the land, as Hegesippus and Tertullian the Roman relate. And concerning bishops we have heard this from our Lord: the shepherd who is appointed bishop in the Churches in every parish must be unblamable, irreproachable, untouched by any injustice of men, not less than fifty years of age, because in a way he has escaped youthful disorders and outside slanders, against the blasphemies brought by certain false brethren upon many who do not know the word of God in the Gospel: "Whoever speaks an idle word will give an account of it to the Lord on the day of judgment." And again: "By your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned." Let him be, therefore, if possible, educated; but if he is illiterate, yet experienced in the word, suitable in age. But if also in some small parish there is not found one advanced in age who is attested and wise to be appointed to the episcopate, but there is a young man there, attested by those with him as worthy of the episcopate, showing old age through his youth in meekness and good order, having been tested, if he is so attested by all, let him be appointed in peace. For Solomon reigned over Israel at twelve years of age, and Josiah reigned in righteousness at eight years of age, and likewise Joash ruled the people at seven years of age. So even if he is young, let him be meek, reverent, and quiet, for the Lord God says through Isaiah: "On whom shall I look, but on him who is meek and quiet and trembles at my words always?" Likewise also in the Gospel thus: "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth." Let him also be merciful, because it is said again: "Blessed are the merciful, for they

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νθ. Ὅτι χρὴ ἕκαστον ὄρθρου καὶ ἑσπέρας σπουδαῖον εἶναι περὶ τὰς συνάξεις. ξ. Παράδειγμα πρὸς ζῆλον ἐνάγον ἡ Ἑλλήνων καὶ Ἰουδαίων μάταιος συνδρομὴ ἐπὶ τοὺς νεὼς καὶ τὰς συναγωγάς. ξα. Ὅτι οὐχ ὅσιον προκρίνειν τὰ ἰδιωτικὰ τῶν θείων. Περὶ ἀδιαφορίας· καὶ ὅτι οὐ χρὴ συντρέχειν τὸν πιστὸν εἰς Ἰου δαίων συναγωγὰς ἢ αἱρετικῶν εὐκτήριον ἢ Ἑλλήνων θεάματα. ξβ. Ὅτι πάντα τὰ τῶν Ἑλλήνων ἀσεβήματα ἀποστρέφεσθαι χρή. ξγ. Ὅτι ἀργὸν οὐ χρὴ ἐσθίειν τινὰ τῶν πιστῶν· ὡς οἱ περὶ Πέτρον ἁλιεῖς καὶ οἱ λοιποὶ ἀπόστολοι, οἱ δὲ περὶ Παῦλον καὶ Ἀκύλαν σκηνοποιοί, οἱ δὲ περὶ Ἰούδαν Ἰακώβου γῆς ἐργάται, ἱστορεῖ Ἡγήσιππος καὶ Τερτυλιανὸς ὁ Ῥωμαῖος. Περὶ δὲ τῶν ἐπισκόπων οὕτως ἠκούσαμεν παρὰ τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν· τὸν ποιμένα τὸν καθιστάμενον ἐπίσκοπον εἰς τὰς Ἐκκλησίας ἐν πάσῃ παροικίᾳ δεῖ ὑπάρχειν ἀνέγ κλητον, ἀνεπίληπτον, ἀνέπαφον πάσης ἀδικίας ἀνθρώπων, οὐκ ἔλαττον ἐτῶν πεντήκοντα, ὅτι τρόπῳ τινὶ τὰς νεωτερικὰς ἀταξίας καὶ τὰς ἔξωθεν διαβολὰς ἐκπεφευγὼς ὑπάρχει πρὸς τάς τινων ψευδαδέλφων εἰς πολλοὺς ἐπιφιρομένας βλασφημίας οὐ γινωσκόντων ῥῆμα Θεοῦ τὸ ἐν τῷ Eὐαγγελίῳ· «Ὃς ἂν λαλήσῃ ῥῆμα ἀργόν, ἀποδώσει περὶ αὐτοῦ λόγον τῷ Κυρίῳ ἐν ἡμέρᾳ κρίσεως». Καὶ πάλιν· «Ἐκ τῶν λόγων σου δικαιωθήσῃ, καὶ ἐκ τῶν λόγων σου κατακριθήσῃ.» Ἔστω οὖν, εἰ δυνατόν, πεπαιδευμένος· εἰ δὲ καὶ ἀγράμ ματος, ἀλλ' οὖν ἔμπειρος τοῦ λόγου, καθήκων τῇ ἡλικίᾳ. Eἰ δὲ καὶ ἐν παροικίᾳ μικρᾷ ὑπαρχούσῃ που προβε βηκὼς τῷ χρόνῳ μὴ εὑρίσκηται μεμαρτυρημένος καὶ σοφὸς εἰς ἐπισκοπὴν κατασταθῆναι, νέος δὲ ᾖ ἐκεῖ, μεμαρτυρημένος ὑπὸ τῶν συνόντων αὐτῷ ὡς ἄξιος ἐπισκοπῆς, διὰ τῆς νεότητος ἐν πραότητι καὶ εὐταξίᾳ γῆρας ἐπιδεικνύμενος, δοκιμασθείς, εἰ ὑπὸ τῶν πάντων οὕτως μαρτυρεῖται, καθι στάσθω ἐν εἰρήνῃ. Καὶ γὰρ Σολομὼν δωδεκαετὴς τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ ἐβασίλευσεν, καὶ Ἰωσίας ἐν δικαιοσύνῃ ὀκτὼ ἐτῶν ἐβασίλευσεν, ὁμοίως δὲ καὶ Ἰωὰς ἑπτὰ ἐτῶν ἦρξεν τοῦ λαοῦ. Ὥστε εἰ καὶ νέος, ἀλλὰ πρᾶος ὑπαρχέτω δεῖλός τε καὶ ἡσύχιος, ὅτι λέγει διὰ τοῦ Ἡσαΐου Κύριος ὁ Θεός· «Ἐπὶ τίνα ἐπιβλέψω, ἀλλ' ἢ ἐπὶ τὸν πρᾶον καὶ ἡσύχιον καὶ τρέμοντά μου τοὺς λόγους διαπαντός;» Ὁμοίως καὶ ἐν τῷ Eὐαγγελίῳ οὕτως· «Μακάριοι οἱ πραεῖς, ὅτι αὐτοὶ κληρονομήσουσι τὴν γῆν.» Ἔστω δὲ καὶ ἐλεήμων, ὅτι πάλιν εἴρηται· «Μακάριοι οἱ ἐλεήμονες, ὅτι αὐτοὶ