XXIII.  I enact this for Laymen too, and I enjoin it also upon all Priests, and upon those commissioned to rule.  Come to the aid of the Word, all of you to whom God has given power to aid.  It is a great thing to check murder, to punish adultery, to chastise theft; much more to establish piety by law, and to bestow sound doctrine.  My word will not be able to do as much in fighting for the Holy Trinity as your Edict, if you will bridle the ill disposed, if you will help the persecuted, if you will check the slayers, and prevent people from being slain.  I am speaking not merely of bodily but of spiritual slaughter.  For all sin is the death of the soul.  Here let my discourse end.

ΚΓʹ. Ταῦτα καὶ λαϊκοῖς νομοθετῶ, ταῦτα καὶ πρεσβυτέροις ἐντέλλομαι, ταῦτα καὶ τοῖς ἄρχειν πεπιστευμένοις. Βοηθήσατε τῷ λόγῳ πάντες ὅσοις τὸ δύνασθαι βοηθεῖν ἐκ Θεοῦ. Μέγα φόνον ἐπισχεῖν, καὶ μοιχείαν κολάσαι, καὶ κλοπὴν σωφρονίσαι: πολλῷ μᾶλλον εὐσέβειαν νομοθετῆσαι, καὶ ὑγιῆ λόγον χαρίσασθαι. Οὐ τοσοῦτον ὁ ἐμὸς λόγος δυνήσεται πολεμῶν ὑπὲρ τῆς ἁγίας Τριάδος, ὅσον τὸ πρόσταγμα, ἐὰν ἐπιστομίζῃς τοὺς κακῶς ἔχοντας, ἐὰν βοηθῇς τοῖς διωκομένοις, ἐὰν τοὺς φονευτὰς ἐπέχῃς, ἐὰν κωλύῃς τὸ φονεύεσθαι. Λέγω δὲ, οὐ τὸν σωματικὸν μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸν ψυχικόν. Πᾶσα γὰρ ἁμαρτία, θάνατός ἐστι ψυχῆς. Μέχρι τούτων ὁ λόγος στήτω.