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.]
[An Exact Description of a Church and the Clergy, and What Things in Particular Every One is to Do in the Solemn Assemblies of the Clergy and Laity For Religious Worship. ]
LVII. But be thou, O bishop, holy, unblameable, no striker, not soon angry, not cruel; but a builder up, a converter, apt to teach, forbearing of 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 decency. And first, 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: with regard to these, let the laity sit on the other side, with all quietness and good order. And let the women sit by themselves, they also keeping 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 conduct 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 the fellow-workers of Paul received and left to you, Luke and Mark. 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, O Israel.” 250 Deut. xxvii. 9. And again: “But do thou stand there, and hear.” 251 Deut. v. 31. 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 shipmen. For the same description and pattern was both in the tabernacle of the testimony and in the temple of God. 252 Deut. xxiii. 1. “And in the temple of God” is omitted in one V. ms. But if any one be found sitting out of his place, let him be rebuked by the deacon, as a manager of the foreship, and be removed into the place proper for him; for the Church is not only like a ship, but also like a sheepfold. For as the shepherds place all the brute creatures distinctly, I mean goats and sheep, according to their kind and age, and still every one runs 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 upright. But let those that are already stricken in years sit in order. For the children which stand, let their fathers and mothers take them to them. 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 which are married, and have children, be placed by themselves; but let the virgins, and the widows, and the elder women, stand or sit before all the rest; and let the deacon be the disposer of the places, that every one of those that comes in may go to his proper place, and may not sit at the entrance. In like manner, let the deacon oversee the people, that nobody may whisper, nor slumber, nor laugh, nor nod; for all ought in the church 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 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, from 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 with fear. 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 the peace of the universe. After this let the high priest pray for peace upon the people, and bless them, as Moses commanded the priests to bless the people, in these words: “The Lord bless thee, and keep thee: the Lord make His face to shine upon thee, 253 One V. ms. inserts, “and pity thee: the Lord lift His countenance upon thee.” and give thee peace.” 254 Num. vi. 24, etc. Let the bishop pray for the people, and say: “Save Thy people, O Lord, and bless Thine inheritance, which Thou hast obtained with the precious blood of Thy Christ, and hast called a royal priesthood, and an holy nation.” 255 Ps. xxviii. 9; Acts xx. 28; 1 Pet. i. 19, ii. 9. After this let the sacrifice follow, the people standing, and praying silently; and when the oblation has 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; but let the door be watched, lest any unbeliever, or one not yet initiated, come in. 256 [Note all this as bearing upon the ceremonial of the Latin Mass, which reverses these primitive precepts in divers points.]
[57] Σὺ δέ, ὁ ἐπίσκοπος, ἔσο ἅγιος, ἄμωμος, μὴ πλήκτης, μὴ ὀργίλος, μὴ ἀπηνής, ἀλλ' οἰκοδόμος, ἐπιστροφεύς, διδακτικός, ἀνεξίκακος, ἠπιόθυμος, πρᾶος, μακρόθυμος, παραινετικός, παρακλητικὸς ὡς Θεοῦ ἄνθρωπος. Ὅταν δὲ συναθροίζῃς τὴν τοῦ Θεοῦ Ἐκκλησίαν, ὡς κυβερνήτης νηὸς μεγάλης μετ' ἐπιστήμης πάσης κέλευε ποιεῖσθαι τὰς συνόδους, παραγγέλλων τοῖς διακόνοις ὡσανεὶ ναύταις τοὺς τόπους ἐκτάσσειν τοῖς ἀδελφοῖς καθάπερ ἐπιβάταις μετὰ πάσης ἐπιμελείας καὶ σεμνότητος. Καὶ πρῶτον μὲν ὁ οἶκος ἔστω ἐπιμήκης, κατὰ ἀνατολὰς τετραμμένος, ἐξ ἑκατέρων τῶν μερῶν ἔχων τὰ παστοφόρια πρὸς ἀνατολήν, ὅστις ἔοικεν νηΐ. Κείσθω δὲ μέσος ὁ τοῦ ἐπισκόπου θρόνος, παρ' ἑκάτερα δὲ αὐτοῦ καθεζέσθω τὸ πρεσβυτέριον, καὶ οἱ διάκονοι παριστάσθωσαν εὐσταλεῖς τῆς πλείονος ἐσθῆτος: ἐοίκασι γὰρ ναύταις καὶ τοιχάρχοις. Προνοίᾳ δὲ τούτων εἰς τὸ ἕτερον μέρος οἱ λαϊκοὶ καθεζέσθωσαν μετὰ πάσης εὐταξιὰς καὶ ἡσυχίας, καὶ αἱ γυναῖκες κεχωρισμένως καὶ αὐταὶ καθεζέσθωσαν σιώπην ἄγουσαι. Μέσος δὲ ὁ ἀναγνώστης ἐφ' ὑψηλοῦ τινος ἑστὼς ἀναγινωσκέτω τὰ Μωϋσέως καὶ Ἰησοῦ τοῦ Ναυή, τὰ τῶν Κριτῶν γαὶ τῶν Βασιλειῶν, τὰ τῶν Παραλειπομένων καὶ τὰ τῆς Ἐπανόδου, πρὸς τούτοις τὰ τοῦ Ἰὼβ καὶ τὰ Σολομῶντος καὶ τὰ τῶν Ἑξκαίδεκα προφητῶν. Ἀνὰ δύο δὲ γενομένων ἀναγνωσμάτων, ἕτερός τις τοῦ Δαυὶδ ψαλλέτω τοὺς ὕμνους, καὶ ὁ λαὸς τὰ ἀκροστίχια ὑποψαλλέτω. Μετὰ τοῦτο αἱ Πράξεις αἱ ἡμέτεραι ἀναγινωσκέσθωσαν καὶ αἱ ἐπιστολαὶ Παύλου τοῦ συνεργοῦ ἡμῶν, ἃς ἀπέστειλε ταῖς Ἐκκλησίαις καθ' ὑφήγησιν τοῦ ἁγίου Πνεύματος: καὶ μετὰ ταῦτα πρεσβύτερος ἢ διάκονος ἀναγινωσκέτω τὰ Εὐαγγέλια, ἃ ἐγὼ Ματθαῖος καὶ Ἰωάννης παρεδώκαμεν ὑμῖν καὶ οἱ συνεργοὶ Παύλου παρειληφότες κατέλειψαν ὑμῖν Λουκᾶς καὶ Μάρκος. Καὶ ὅταν ἀναγινωσκόμενον ᾖ τὸ Εὐαγγέλιον, πάντες οἱ πρεσβύτεροι καὶ οἱ διάκονοι καὶ πᾶς ὁ λαὸς στηκέτωσαν μετὰ πολλῆς ἡσυχίας: γέγραπται γάρ: »Σιώπα καὶ ἄκουε Ἰσραήλ«, καὶ πάλιν: »Σὺ δὲ αὐτοῦ στῆθι καὶ ἀκούσῃ.« Καὶ ἑξῆς παρακαλείτωσαν οἱ πρεσβύτεροι τὸν λαόν, ὁ καθεῖς αὐτῶν, ἀλλὰ μὴ ἅπαντες, καὶ τελευταῖος πάντων ὁ ἐπίσκοπος, ὃς ἔοικε κυβερνήτῃ. Στηκέτωσαν δὲ οἱ μὲν πυλωροὶ εἰς τὰς εἰσόδους τῶν ἀνδρῶν φυλάσσοντες αὐτάς, αἱ δὲ διάκονοι εἰς τὰς τῶν γυναικῶν, δίκην ναυστολόγων: καὶ γὰρ ἐν τῇ σκηνῇ τοῦ μαρτυρίου ὁ αὐτὸς παρηκολούθει τύπος. Εἰ δέ τις εὑρεθῇ παρὰ τόπον καθεζόμενος, ἐπιπλησσέσθω ὑπὸ τοῦ διακόνου ὡς πρωρέως καὶ εἰς τὸν καθήκοντα αὐτῷ τόπον μεταγέσθω. Οὐ μόνον γὰρ νηΐ, ἀλλὰ καὶ μάνδρῃ ὡμοίωται ἡ Ἐκκλησία. Ὡς γὰρ οἱ ποιμένες ἕκαστον τῶν ἀλόγων, αἰγῶν φημι καὶ προβάτων, κατὰ συγγένειαν καὶ ἡλικίαν ἱστῶσιν, καὶ ἕκαστον αὐτῶν τὸ ὅμοιον τῷ ὁμοίῳ συντρέχει, οὕτω καὶ ἐν τῇ Ἐκκλησίᾳ οἱ μὲν νεώτεροι ἰδίᾳ καθεζέσθωσαν, ἐὰν ᾖ τόπος, εἰ δὲ μή, στηκέτωσαν ὀρθοί: οἱ δὲ τῇ ἡλικίᾳ ἤδη προβεβηκότες καθεζέσθωσαν ἐν τάξει, τὰ δὲ παιδία ἑστῶτα προσλαμβανέσθωσαν αὐτῶν οἱ πατέρες καὶ αἱ μητέρες: αἱ δὲ νεώτεραι πάλιν ἰδίᾳ, ἐὰν ᾖ τόπος, εἰ δὲ μήγε, ὄπισθεν τῶν γυναικῶν ἱστάσθωσαν: αἱ δὲ ἤδη γεγαμηκυῖαι καὶ τὰ τέκνα ἔχουσαι ἰδίᾳ ἱστάσθωσαν: αἱ παρθένοι δὲ καὶ αἱ χῆραι καὶ αἱ πρεσβύτιδες πρῶται πασῶν στηκέτωσαν ἢ καθεζέσθωσαν. Ἔστω δὲ τῶν τόπων προνοῶν ὁ διάκονος, ἵν' ἕκαστος τῶν εἰσερχομένων εἰς τὸν ἴδιον τόπον ὁρμᾷ καὶ μὴ παρὰ τὸ ἰντρόϊτον καθέζωνται. Ὁμοίως ὁ διάκονος ἐπισκοπείτω τὸν λαόν, ὅπως μήτις ψιθυρίσῃ ἢ νυστάξῃ ἢ γελάσῃ ἢ νεύσῃ: χρὴ γὰρ ἐν Ἐκκλησίᾳ ἐπιστημόνως καὶ νηφαλέως καὶ ἐγρηγορότως ἑστάναι, ἐκτεταμένην ἔχοντα τὴν ἀκοὴν εἰς τὸν τοῦ Κυρίου λόγον. Καὶ μετὰ τοῦτο συμφώνως ἅπαντες ἐξαναστάντες καὶ ἐπ' ἀνατολὰς κατανοήσαντες, μετὰ τὴν τῶν κατηχουμένων καὶ τὴν τῶν μετανοούντων ἔξοδον προσευχέσθωσαν τῷ Θεῷ τῷ ἐπιβεβηκότι ἐπὶ τὸν οὐρανὸν τοῦ οὐρανοῦ κατὰ ἀνατολάς, ὑπομιμνησκόμενοι καὶ τῆς ἀρχαίας νομῆς τοῦ κατὰ ἀνατολὰς παραδείσου, ὅθεν ὁ πρῶτος ἄνθρωπος, ἀθετήσας τὴν ἐντολὴν ὄφεως συμβουλίᾳ πεισθείς, ἀπεβλήθη. Οἱ δὲ διάκονοι μετὰ τὴν προσευχὴν οἱ μὲν τῇ προσφορᾷ τῆς εὐχαριστίας σχολαζέτωσαν ὑπηρετούμενοι τῷ τοῦ Κυρίου σώματι μετὰ φόβου, οἱ δὲ τοὺς ὄχλους διασκοπείτωσαν καὶ ἡσυχίαν αὐτοῖς ἐμποιείτωσαν. Λεγέτω δὲ ὁ παρεστὼς τῷ ἀρχιερεῖ διάκονος τῷ λαῷ: »Μή τις κατά τινος, μή τις ἐν ὑποκρίσει«. Εἶτα καὶ ἀσπαζέσθωσαν ἀλλήλους οἱ ἄνδρες καὶ ἀλλήλας αἱ γυναῖκες τὸ ἐν Κυρίῳ φίλημα, ἀλλὰ μή τις δολίως, ὡς ὁ Ἰούδας τὸν Κύριον φιλήματι παρέδωκεν. Καὶ μετὰ τοῦτο προσευχέσθω ὁ διάκονος ὑπὲρ τῆς Ἐκκλησίας πάσης καὶ παντὸς τοῦ κόσμου καὶ τῶν ἐν αὐτῷ μερῶν καὶ ἐκφορίων, ὑπὲρ τῶν ἱερέων καὶ τῶν ἀρχόντων, ὑπὲρ τοῦ ἀρχιερέως καὶ τοῦ βασιλέως καὶ τῆς καθόλου εἰρήνης. Καὶ μετὰ τοῦτο ὁ ἀρχιερεὺς ἐπευχόμενος τῷ λαῷ εἰρήνην εὐλογείτω τοῦτον, ὡς καὶ Μωϋσῆς ἐνετείλατο τοῖς ἱερεῦσιν εὐλογεῖν τὸν λαὸν τούτοις τοῖς ῥήμασιν: »Εὐλογήσαι σε Κύριος καὶ φυλάξαι σε, ἐπιφάναι Κύριος τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ σὲ καὶ ἐλεήσαι σε, ἐπάραι Κύριος τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ σὲ καὶ δῴη σοι εἰρήνην.« Ἐπευχέσθω οὖν καὶ ὁ ἐπίσκοπος καὶ λεγέτω: »Σῶσον Κύριε, τὸν λαόν σου, καὶ εὐλόγησον τὴν κληρονομίαν σου, ἣν ἐκτήσω καὶ περιεποιήσω τῷ τιμίῳ αἵματι τοῦ Χριστοῦ σου καὶ ἐκάλεσας βασίλειον ἱεράτευμα καὶ ἔθνος ἅγιον.« Μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα γινέσθω ἡ θυσία, ἑστῶτος παντὸς τοῦ λαοῦ καὶ προσευχομένου ἡσύχως: καὶ ὅταν προσενεχθῇ, μεταλαμβανέτω ἑκάστη τάξις καθ' ἑαυτὴν τοῦ κυριακοῦ σώματος καὶ τοῦ τιμίου αἵματος, ἐν τάξει μετὰ αἰδοῦς καὶ εὐλαβείας ὡς βασιλέως προσερχόμενοι σώματι, καὶ αἱ γυναῖκες κατακεκαλυμμέναι τὴν κεφαλήν, ὡς ἁρμόζει γυναικῶν τάξει, προσερχέσθωσαν. Φυλαττέσθωσαν δὲ αἱ θύραι, μή τις ἄπιστος ἢ ἀμύητος, εἰσέλθοι.