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Anonymous, Constitutions of the Holy Apostles
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Constitutions of the holy apostles via Clement.
[Sec. I.—General Commandments.]
[That We Ought Not to Return Injuries, Nor Revenge Ourselves on Him that Does Us Wrong.]
[What Books of Scripture We Ought to Read.]
[That We Ought to Abstain from All the Books of Those that are Out of the Church.]
[Concerning the Subjection of a Wife to Her Husband, and that She Must Be Loving and Modest.]
[That a Woman Must Not Bathe with Men.]
[Concerning a Contentious and Brawling Woman.]
constitutions of the holy apostles
[That a Bishop Must Be Well Instructed and Experienced in the Word.]
[What Ought to Be the Characters of a Bishop and of the Rest of the Clergy.]
[In What Things a Bishop is to Be Examined Before He is Ordained.]
[That a Bishop Must Not Be Given to Filthy Lucre, Nor Be a Surety Nor an Advocate.]
[What Ought to Be the Character of the Initiated.]
[Concerning a Person Falsely Accused, or a Person Convicted.]
[That a Bishop Ought Not to Receive Bribes.]
[That a Bishop Who by Wrong Judgment Spares an Offender is Himself Guilty.]
[How a Bishop Ought to Judge Offenders.]
[Instruction as to How a Bishop Ought to Behave Himself to the Penitent.]
[That We Ought to Beware How We Make Trial of Any Sinful Course.]
[That a Priest Must Neither Overlook Offences, Nor Be Rash in Punishing Them.]
[Of Repentance, the Manner of It, and Rules About It.]
[That a Bishop Must Be Unblameable, and a Pattern for Those Who are Under His Charge.]
[How the Governed are to Obey the Bishops Who are Set Over Them.]
[Amon May be an Example to Such as Sin with an High Hand.]
[That Christ Jesus Our Lord Came to Save Sinners by Repentance.]
[According to What Patterns and Dignity Every Order of the Clergy is Appointed by God.]
[What is the Dignity of a Bishop and of a Deacon.]
[After What Manner the Laity are to Be Obedient to the Deacon.]
[That the Deacon Must Not Do Anything Without the Bishop.]
[After What Manner the Bishops are to Be Honoured, and to Be Reverenced as Our Spiritual Parents.]
[That Priests are to Be Preferred Before Rulers and Kings.]
[That Both the Law and the Gospel Prescribe Offerings.]
[The Recital of the Ten Commandments, and After What Manner They Do Here Prescribe to Us.]
[That We are Not to Be Implacable to Him Who Has Once or Twice Offended.]
[That a Judge Must Not Be a Respecter of Persons.]
[After What Manner False Accusers are to Be Punished.]
[That the Deacon is to Ease the Burden of the Bishops, and to Order the Smaller Matters Himself.]
[That Contentions and Quarrels are Unbecoming Christians.]
[That the Judicatures of Christians Ought to Be Held on the Second Day of the Week.]
[What are to Be the Characters of Accusers and Witnesses.]
[That Former Offences Do Sometimes Render After Accusations Credible.]
[Against Judging Without Hearing Both Sides.]
[That Christians Ought Not to Be Contentious One with Another.]
[That Every Christian Ought to Frequent the Church Diligently Both Morning and Evening.]
[That We Must Not Prefer the Affairs of This Life to Those Which Concern the Worship of God.]
[That Christians Must Abstain from All the Impious Practices of the Heathens.]
constitutions of the holy apostles
[The Age at Which Widows Should Be Chosen.]
[That We Must Avoid the Choice of Younger Widows, Because of Suspicion.]
[What Character the Widows Ought to Be Of, and How They Ought to Be Supported by the Bishop.]
[That We Ought to Be Charitable to All Sorts of Persons in Want.]
[That the Widows are to Be Very Careful of Their Behavior.]
[That Women Ought Not to Teach, Because It is Unseemly And What Women Followed Our Lord.]
[What are the Characters of Widows Falsely So Called.]
[That Women Ought Not to Baptize, Because It is Impious, and Contrary to the Doctrine of Christ.]
[The Rejection of All Uncharitable Actions.]
[How the Widows are to Pray for Those that Supply Their Necessities.]
[That It Does Not Become Us to Revile Our Neighbours, Because Cursing is Contrary to Christianity.]
[Concerning the Sacred Initiation of Holy Baptism.]
[What is the Meaning of Baptism into Christ, and on What Account Everything is There Said or Done.]
[Of What Character He Ought to Be Who is Initiated.]
[What are the Characters of a Deacon.]
constitutions of the holy apostles
[Those Who Have No Children Should Adopt Orphans, and Treat Them as Their Own Children.]
[How the Bishop Ought to Provide for the Orphans.]
[Who Ought to Be Supported According to the Lord’s Constitution.]
[With What Fear Men Ought to Partake of the Lord’s Oblations.]
[Whose Oblations are to Be Received, and Whose Not to Be Received.]
[In What Things We Ought to Be Subject to the Rulers of This World.]
constitutions of the holy apostles
[That We are to Avoid Intercourse with False Brethren When They Continue in Their Wickedness.]
[That It is an Horrible and Destructive Thing to Deny Christ.]
[That We Ought to Imitate Christ in Suffering, and with Zeal to Follow His Patience.]
[Concerning James the Brother of the Lord, and Stephen the First Martyr.]
[An Admonition Instructing Men to Avoid the Abominable Sin of Idolatry.]
[Of the Great Week, and on What Account They Enjoin Us to Fast on Wednesday and Friday.]
[How the Passover Ought to Be Celebrated.]
[A Constitution Concerning the Great Passover Week.]
[A Prophetic Prediction Concerning Christ Jesus.]
constitutions of the holy apostles
[Who They Were that Ventured to Make Schisms, and Did Not Escape Punishment.]
[That It is Not Lawful to Rise Up Either Against the Kingly or the Priestly Office.]
[That Even Among the Jews There Arose the Doctrine of Several Heresies Hateful to God.]
[Whence the Heresies Sprang, and Who Was the Ringleader of Their Impiety.]
[Who Were the Successors of Simon’s Impiety, and What Heresies They Set Up.]
[How the Heresies Differ from Each Other, and from the Truth.]
[An Exposition of the Preaching of the Apostles.]
[For Those that Confess Christ, But are Desirous to Judaize.]
[That We Must Separate from Heretics.]
[Who Were the Preachers of the Catholic Doctrine, and Which are the Commandments Given by Them.]
[Concerning Books with False Inscriptions.]
[Matrimonial Precepts Concerning Clergymen.]
[An Exhortation Commanding to Avoid the Communion of the Impious Heretics.]
[To Those that Speak Evil of the Law.]
[Which is the Law of Nature, and Which is that Afterwards Introduced, and Why It Was Introduced.]
[That We Who Believe in Christ are Under Grace, and Not Under the Servitude of that Additional Law.]
[That the Law for Sacrifices is Additional, Which Christ When He Came Took Away.]
[That It Pleased the Lord that the Law of Righteousness Should Be Demonstrated by the Romans.]
[That We Ought to Avoid the Heretics as the Corrupters of Souls.]
[Of Some Jewish and Gentile Observances.]
[Of the Love of Boys, Adultery, and Fornication.]
[How Wives Ought to Be Subject to Their Own Husbands, and Husbands Ought to Love Their Own Wives.]
constitutions of the holy apostles
[The Prohibition of Conjuring, Murder of Infants, Perjury, and False Witness.]
[The Prohibition of Malignity, Acceptation of Persons, Wrath, Malice, and Envy.]
[Concerning Augury and Enchantments.]
[The Prohibition of Murmuring, Insolence, Pride, and Arrogance.]
[Concerning Long-Suffering, Simplicity, Meekness, and Patience.]
[Concerning Him that is Double-Minded and Desponding.]
[How Masters Ought to Behave Themselves to Their Servants, and How Servants Ought to Be Subject.]
[Concerning Hypocrisy, and Obedience to the Laws, and Confession of Sins.]
[Concerning the Observance Due to Parents.]
[Concerning the Subjection Due to the King and to Rulers.]
[Concerning the Pure Conscience of Those that Pray.]
[That We Ought to Avoid the Eating of Things Offered to Idols.]
[A Constitution of Our Lord, How We Ought to Baptize, and into Whose Death.]
[Which Days of the Week We are to Fast, and Which Not, and for What Reasons.]
[What Sort of People Ought to Pray that Prayer that Was Given by the Lord.]
[A Thanksgiving at the Divine Participation.]
[A Thanksgiving About the Mystical Ointment.]
[That We Ought Not to Be Indifferent About Communicating.]
[A Constitution Concerning Oblations.]
[What Qualifications They Ought to Have Who are to Be Ordained.]
[A Prediction Concerning Futurities.]
[A Prayer Declarative of God’s Various Providence.]
[A Prayer Declarative of God’s Various Creation.]
[A Prayer, with Thanksgiving, Declarative of God’s Providence Over the Beings He Has Made.]
[A Prayer Commemorative of the Incarnation of Christ, and His Various Providence to the Saints.]
[A Prayer for the Assistance of the Righteous.]
[How the Catechumens are to Be Instructed in the Elements.]
[The Renunciation of the Adversary, and the Dedication to the Christ of God.]
[A Thanksgiving Concerning the Anointing with the Mystical Oil.]
[A Thanksgiving Concerning the Mystical Water.]
[A Thanksgiving Concerning the Mystical Ointment.]
[A Prayer for the New Fruits.]
[Who Were They that the Holy Apostles Sent and Ordained? ]
constitutions of the holy apostles.
[On Whose Account the Powers of Miracles are Performed.]
[Concerning Unworthy Bishops and Presbyters.]
[The Form of Prayer for the Ordination of a Bishop.]
[The Divine Liturgy, Wherein is the Bidding Prayer for the Catechumens.]
[Imposition of Hands Prayer for PenItents.]
[The Form of Prayer for the Faithful.]
[The Constitution of James the Brother of John, the Son of Zebedee.]
[The Bidding Prayer for the Faithful After the Divine Oblation.]
[The Bidding Prayer After the Participation.]
[The Form of Prayer After the Participation.]
[Concerning the Ordination of Presbyters—The Constitution of John, Who Was Beloved by the Lord.]
[Concerning the Ordination of Deacons—The Constitution of Philip.]
[The Form of Prayer for the Ordination of a Deacon.]
[Concerning the Deaconess—The Constitution of Bartholomew.]
[The Form of Prayer for the Ordination of a Deaconess.]
[Concerning the Sub-Deacons—The Constitution of Thomas. ]
[Concerning the Readers—The Constitution of Matthew.]
[Concerning the Confessors—The Constitution of James the Son of Alpheus.]
[The Same Apostle’s Constitution Concerning Virgins.]
[The Constitution of Lebbæus, Who Was Surnamed Thaddæus, Concerning Widows.]
[The Same Apostle Concerning the Exorcist.]
[Simon the Canaanite Concerning the Number Necessary for the Ordination of a Bishop.]
[The Same Apostle’s Canons Concerning Bishops, Presbyters, Deacons, and the Rest of the Clergy.]
[Concerning the Blessing of Water and Oil—The Constitution of Matthias.]
[The Same Apostle’s Constitution Concerning First-Fruits and Tithes.]
[The Same Apostle’s Constitutions Concerning the Remaining Oblations.]
[Upon Which Days Servants are Not to Work.]
[At What Hours, and Why, We are to Pray.]
[The Constitution of James the Brother of Christ Concerning Evening Prayer.]
[The Bidding Prayer for the Evening.]
[The Thanksgiving for the Evening.]
[The Thanksgiving for the Morning.]
[The Imposition of Hands for the Morning.]
[The Form of Prayer for the First-Fruits.]
[The Bidding Prayer for Those Departed.]
[That Memorials or Mandates Do Not at All Profit the Ungodly Who are Dead.]
[Concerning the Receiving Such as are Persecuted for Christ’s Sake.]
[That It is a Dangerous Thing to Judge Without Hearing Both Sides, or to Determine of Punishment Against a Person Before He is Convicted. ]
XXI. 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 insults over the people that are under thee, not one that conceals the divine laws and the promises to repentance, not hasty in thrusting out and expelling, but steady, not one that delights in severity, not heady. Do not admit less evidence to convict any one 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, forward in discourse, slanderous, haters of the brethren, making it their business to scatter the sheep of Christ; whose affirmation if thou admittest without nice scanning the same, 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 atheistic heretics. For those destroying wolves soon address themselves to any one 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.” 116 John viii. 44. 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 over to the heathen, or be entangled in heresies, and so will be altogether estranged from the Church and from hope in God, and will be entangled in impiety, 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 returns; to be forward in cutting off, but unmerciful when he is sorrowful, and ought to be healed. For of such as these speaks the divine Scripture: “Their feet run to mischief; they are hasty to shed blood. Destruction and misery are in their ways, and the way of peace have they not known. The fear of God is not before their eyes.” 117 Prov. i. 16; Isa. lix. 7, 8; Ps. xxxvi. 1; Rom. iii. 15. Now the way of peace is our Saviour Jesus Christ, who has taught us, saying: “Forgive, and ye shall be forgiven. Give, and it shall be given to you;” 118 Luke vi. 37, 38. 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: “Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.” 119 Matt. vi. 12. If, therefore, you do not forgive offenders, how can you expect the remission of your own sins? Do not you rather bind yourselves faster, by pretending in your prayers to forgive, when you really do not forgive? Will you not be confronted with your own words, when you say you forgive and do not forgive? For know ye, that he who casts out one who has not behaved himself wickedly, or who will not receive him that returns, is a murderer of his brother, and sheds his blood, as Cain did that of his brother Abel, and his “blood cries to God,” 120 Gen. iv. 10. and will be required. For a righteous man unjustly slain by any one will be in rest with God for ever. The same is the case of him who without cause is separated by his bishop. He who has cast him out as a pestilent fellow when he was innocent, is more furious than a murderer. Such a one has no regard to the mercy of God, nor is mindful of His goodness to those that are penitent, nor keeping in his eye the examples of those who, having been once great offenders, received forgiveness upon their repentance. Upon which account, he who casts off an innocent person is more cruel than he that murders the body. In like manner, he who does not receive the penitent, scatters the flock of Christ, being really against Him. For as God is just in judging of sinners, so is He merciful in receiving them when they return. For David, the man after God’s own heart, in his hymns ascribes both mercy and judgment to Him.
[21] Ἔσο δὲ χρηστός, ἀγαθός, ἤπιος, ἄδολος, ἀψευδής, μὴ σκληρός, μὴ αὐθάδης, μὴ ἀπότομος, μὴ ἀλαζών, μὴ ἀνηλεής, μὴ τετυφωμένος, μὴ ἀνθρωπάρεσκος, μὴ δειλός, μὴ δίγνωμος, μὴ ἐμπαίζων τοῖς ὑπὸ σὲ λαοῖς, μὴ ἀποκρύπτων ἀπ' αὐτῶν τὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ νόμιμα καὶ τοὺς περὶ μετανοίας λόγους, μὴ πρόχειρος πρὸς τὸ ἐξῶσαι καὶ ἐκβαλεῖν, ἀλλὰ ἀσφαλής, μὴ φιλεπιτιμητής, μὴ προπετής, μὴ παραδεχόμενος κατά τινος μαρτυρίαν ἄνευ τριῶν μαρτύρων, καὶ τούτων ἂν ὁ τρόπος ᾖ μεμαρτυρημένος πάλαι, καὶ εἰ μὴ ἀπὸ ἔχθρας κινούμενοι καὶ φθόνου. Εἰσὶ γὰρ πολλοὶ ἐπιχαιρεσίκακοι, πρόγλωσσοι, τριττὴν γλώσσαν ἔχοντες, μισάδελφοι, ἔργον τιθέμενοι σκορπίζειν τὰ Χριστοῦ πρόβατα, ὧν εἰ παραδέχεσθαι θέλεις τοὺς λόγους ἀκρίτως, διασπερεῖς σου τὸ ποίμνιον καὶ παραδώσεις λύκοις εἰς κατάβρωμα, τοῦτ' ἔστι δαίμοσιν καὶ πονηροῖς ἀνθρώποις, μᾶλλον δὲ οὐκ ἀνθρώποις, ἀλλὰ θηρίοις ἀνθρωποειδέσιν, ἐθνικοῖς καὶ Ἰουδαϊσταῖς καὶ αἱρεσιώταις ἀθέοις. Τῷ γὰρ ἐκβληθέντι τῆς Ἐκκλησίας εὐθὺς προσπελάζουσιν οἱ λυμεῶνες ὡς λύκοι καὶ ὡς ἄρνα βορὰν ἡγοῦνται, κέρδος ἴδιον ἡγούμενοι τὴν ἐκείνου ἀπώλειαν: καὶ γὰρ ὁ τούτων πατὴρ διάβολος ἀνθρωποκτόνος ἐστίν: καὶ ὁ διὰ τῆς σῆς ἀκρισίας ἀδίκως ἀφορισθεὶς καὶ ἀθυμίᾳ συσχεθεὶς καὶ ὀλιγοψυχήσας ἢ εἰς ἔθνη ἀποπλανηθήσεται ἢ εἰς αἱρέσεις συμποδισθήσεται, καὶ παντελῶς τῆς Ἐκκλησίας καὶ τῆς εἰς Θεὸν ἐλπίδος ἀπαλλοτριωθήσεται καὶ συμποδισθήσεται ὑπὸ ἀσεβείας, καὶ γενήσῃ σὺ τῆς ἐκείνου ἀπωλείας ἔνοχος. Οὐ γὰρ δίκαιόν ἐστιν, ἕτοιμον μὲν εἶναι ἐκβάλλειν τὸν ἡμαρτηκότα, ὀκνηρὸν δὲ ὑπάρχειν εἰς τὸ προσδέχεσθαι τὸν ἐπιστρέφοντα, καὶ πρόχειρον μὲν εἰς τὸ ἀποκόπτειν, ἀνηλεῆ δὲ εἰς τὸ τὸν ἀλγοῦντα ἰᾶσθαι: περὶ δὲ τῶν τοιούτων λέγει ἡ θεία γραφή: «Οἱ πόδες αὐτῶν εἰς κακίαν τρέχουσιν καὶ ταχινοί εἰσιν τοῦ ἐκχέειν αἷμα: σύντριμμα καὶ ταλαιπωρία ἐν ταῖς ὁδοῖς αὐτῶν, καὶ ὁδὸν εἰρήνης οὐκ ἔγνωσαν: οὐκ ἔστιν φόβος Θεοῦ ἀπέναντι τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν αὐτῶν.» Ὁδὸς δὲ εἰρήνης ἐστὶν ὁ σωτὴρ ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦς ὁ Χριστός, ὃς καὶ ἐδίδαξεν ἡμᾶς λέγων: «Ἄφετε, καὶ ἀφεθήσεται ὑμῖν: δίδοτε, καὶ δοθήσεται ὑμῖν», τοῦτ' ἔστιν δίδοτε ἄφεσιν ἁμαρτιῶν, καὶ ἀφεθήσεται ὑμῖν τὰ παραπτώματα, ὡς καὶ διὰ τῆς εὐχῆς ἡμᾶς ἐπαίδευσεν λέγειν πρὸς Θεόν: «Ἄφες ἡμῖν τὰ παραπτώματα ἡμῶν, ὡς καὶ ἡμεῖς ἀφίεμεν τοῖς ὀφειλέταις ἡμῶν.» Ἐὰν οὖν μὴ ἀφῆτε τοῖς ἡμαρτηκόσιν, πῶς ὑμεῖς λήψεσθε τὴν ἄφεσιν τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν ὑμῶν; Οὐχὶ τοὐναντίον ἑαυτὸν δεσμεύεις, λέγων ἀφιέναι καὶ μὴ ἀφιῶν; Τῷ ἑαυτῶν στόματι ἐναντιωθήσεσθε, λέγοντες ἀφιέναι καὶ μὴ ἀφιέντες. Γινώσκετε γάρ, ὅτι ὁ τὸν μὴ ἀδικήσαντα ἐκβάλλων ἢ τὸν ἐπιστρέφοντα μὴ προσδεχόμενος φονεύει τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ καὶ αἷμα ἐκχέει ὡς Καῒν Ἄβελ τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ αὐτοῦ, καὶ τὸ αἷμα αὐτοῦ βοῶν πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν ἐκζητηθήσεται. Δίκαιος γὰρ ἀδίκως φονευθεὶς ὑπὸ τινὸς παρὰ Θεῷ ἐν ἀναπαύσει ἔσται εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα, ὡσαύτως καὶ ὁ ματαίως ἀφορισθεὶς ὑπὸ τοῦ ἐπισκόπου. Ὁ μέντοι ἐκβάλλων ὡς λοιμὸν τὸν ἀναίτιον, πικρότερος φονέως ὁ τοιοῦτος, οὐκ ἀφορῶν εἰς τὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἔλεος, οὐδὲ μνημονεύων αὐτοῦ τὴν ἐπὶ τοῖς μετανοοῦσιν ἀγαθωσύνην, οὐδὲ λαμβάνων σκοποὺς τῶν τοιούτων τοὺς ἐκ πλήθους παραπτωμάτων ἐν μετανοίᾳ εἰληφότας ἄφεσιν. Διὰ τοῦτο ἰταμώτερος σωματικοῦ φονέως ὁ τὸν ἀναίτιον ἀπορρίπτων. Ὡσαύτως καὶ ὁ μὴ προσδεχόμενος τοὺς μετανοοῦντας σκορπίζει τὰ τοῦ Χριστοῦ, κατ' αὐτοῦ γινόμενος: ὡς γὰρ δίκαιός ἐστιν ὁ Θεὸς ἐν τῷ κρίνειν τοὺς ἁμαρτωλούς, οὕτως ἐλεήμων ἐν τῷ προσδέχεσθαι τοὺς ἐπιστρέφοντας. Ἔλεος γὰρ καὶ κρίσιν ᾖδεν αὐτῷ ὁ θεοφιλὴς Δαυίδ.