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d. Concerning the love of money. e. With what fear widows and orphans should partake of the Lord's contributions. f. Whose offerings are acceptable and whose are not. g. That the offerings of the unworthy, as long as they are such, not only do not propitiate God, but on the contrary move Him to indignation. h. That it is better to provide for widows from one's own labor, even if the things given are humble and few, than the many things of the impious, even if they happen to be many and great; for it is better to perish by famine than to accept a contribution from the impious. i. That the people should be exhorted by the priest to do good to the poor, as also Solomon the wise. j. A regulation, that if any of the impious should forcibly cast money to the priests, they should spend it on wood and charcoal, but not on food. k. Concerning parents and children. l. Concerning servants and masters. m. In what things one must be subject to the secular rulers. n. Concerning virgins. But if some Christian becomes an orphan, whether a boy or a virgin, it is good for one of the brethren who has no child to take him in and have him in the place of a child, and for one who has a son of marriageable age to join her to him in marriage; for those who do this accomplish a great work, having become fathers to orphans, and they will receive the reward for this ministry from the Lord God. But if there are some who are not like this, but walking as men-pleasers, being rich, would be ashamed of the members of orphanhood, the father of orphans and judge of widows will take care of the orphan, but upon him such a one will fall who will consume his savings, and it will happen to him as it is written: “What the holy ones did not eat, these the Assyrians will eat.” As also Isaiah says: “Strangers devour your land in your presence, and it is desolate, overthrown.” You, therefore, O bishops, take care for their upbringing, letting them lack nothing, providing to the orphans the things of parents, and to the widows the things of husbands, to those of age, marriage; to the artisan, work; to the idle, mercy; to strangers, a roof; to the hungry, bread; to the thirsty, drink; to the naked, clothing; to the sick, healing; to those in prison, help. In addition to these things

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δ. Περὶ φιλαργυρίας. ε. Μετὰ ποίου φόβου χρὴ τῶν κυριακῶν μετέχειν συνεισφορῶν τὰς χήρας καὶ τοὺς ὀρφανούς. ς. Τίνων αἱ καρποφορίαι δεκταὶ καὶ τίνων ἄδεκτοι. ζ. Ὅτι αἱ τῶν ἀναξίων καρποφορίαι, ἕως ἂν ὦσι τοιοῦτοι, οὐ μόνον οὐκ ἐξιλεοῦνται Θεόν, ἀλλ' ἐκ τῶν ἐναντίων κινοῦσιν αὐτὸν πρὸς ἀγανάκτησιν. η. Ὅτι βέλτιον ἐκ κόπου ἰδίου παρέχειν χήραις, κἂν ᾖ τὰ διδόμενα εὐτελῆ καὶ ὀλίγα, ἢ τὰ πολλὰ τῶν ἀσεβῶν, κἂν πολλὰ καὶ μεγάλα τυγχάνῃ· βέλτιον γὰρ λιμῷ διαφθαρῆναι ἢ παρὰ ἀσεβῶν συνεισφο ρὰν δέξασθαι. θ. Ὅτι χρὴ προτρέπεσθαι τὸν λαὸν ὑπὸ τοῦ ἱερέως εὐποιεῖν τοὺς πένητας, ὡς καὶ Σολομὼν ὁ σοφός. ι. ∆ιάταξις, ἵν' ἐάν τις τῶν ἀσεβῶν βίᾳ προσρίψῃ χρήματα τοῖς ἱερεῦσιν, εἰς ξύλα καὶ ἀνθρακιὰν ἀναλώσωσι ταῦτα, ἀλλὰ μὴ εἰς διατροφάς. ια. Περὶ γονέων καὶ τέκνων. ιβ. Περὶ οἰκετῶν καὶ δεσποτῶν. ιγ. Ἐν τίσιν ὑποτάσσεσθαι χρὴ τοῖς κοσμικοῖς ἄρχουσιν. ιδ. Περὶ παρθένων. Ὀρφανοῦ δέ τινος γενομένου χριστιανοῦ ἤτοι παιδὸς ἢ παρθένου, καλὸν μέν, ἵνα τις τῶν ἀδελφῶν οὐκ ἔχων τέκνον προσλαβόμενος τοῦτο ἔχῃ εἰς παιδὸς τόπον, τὴν δὲ παρθένον ὁ ἔχων υἱὸν δυνάμενον αὐτῇ ταῖς τοῦ γάμου ὥραις συγχρονίσαι συζεύξῃ· τοῦτο γὰρ οἱ ποιοῦντες ἔργον μέγα ἐπιτελοῦσιν, ὀρφανῶν πατέρες ὑπάρξαντες, καὶ παρὰ Κυρίου τοῦ Θεοῦ λήψονται τὸν μισθὸν τῆς διακονίας ταύτης. Eἰ δέ τινες οὐκ εἰσὶ τοιοῦτοι ἀλλὰ κατὰ ἀνθρωπαρέσκειαν περι πατῶν ἐπαισχύνοιτο πλούσιος ὢν τὰ τῆς ὀρφανίας μέλη, τοῦ μὲν ὀρφανοῦ πρόνοιαν ποιήσεται ὁ πατὴρ τῶν ὀρφανῶν καὶ κριτὴς τῶν χηρῶν, αὐτῷ δὲ ἐμπεσεῖται τοιοῦτος, ὅστις αὐτοῦ δαπανήσει τὴν φειδώ, καὶ γενήσεται ἐπ' αὐτῷ τὸ εἰρημένον· «Ἃ οὐκ ἔφαγον ἅγιοι, ταῦτα φάγονται Ἀσσύ ριοι.» Καθὼς καὶ Ἡσαΐας λέγει· «Τὴν χώραν ὑμῶν ἐνώπιον ὑμῶν ἀλλότριοι κατεσθίουσιν αὐτὴν καὶ ἠρήμωται κατεστραμμένη.» Ὑμεῖς οὖν, ὦ ἐπίσκοποι, μεριμνήσατε περὶ τῆς ἀνατροφῆς αὐτῶν, μηδὲν ἐλλείποντες αὐτοῖς, τοῖς μὲν ὀρφα νοῖς παρέχοντες τὰ γονέων, ταῖς δὲ χήραις τὰ ἀνδρῶν, τοῖς ἀκμαίοις τοὺς γάμους, τεχνίτῃ ἔργον, ἀδρανεῖ ἔλεος, ξένοις στέγος, πεινῶσι ψωμόν, διψῶσι πῶμα, γυμνοῖς ἔνδυμα, νοσοῦσι θεράπειαν, φυλακίταις βοήθειαν. Πρὸς τούτοις