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.]
[Of the Love of Boys, Adultery, and Fornication.]
XXVIII. But we do not say so of that mixture that is contrary to nature, or of any unlawful practice; for such are enmity to God. For the sin of Sodom is contrary to nature, as is also that with brute beasts. But adultery and fornication are against the law; the one whereof is impiety, the other injustice, and, in a word, no other than a great sin. But neither sort of them is without its punishment in its own proper nature. For the practisers of one sort attempt the dissolution of the world, and endeavour to make the natural course of things to change for one that is unnatural; but those of the second sort—the adulterers—are unjust by corrupting others’ marriages, and dividing into two what God hath made one, rendering the children suspected, and exposing the true husband to the snares of others. And fornication is the destruction of one’s own flesh, not being made use of for the procreation of children, but entirely for the sake of pleasure, which is a mark of incontinency, and not a sign of virtue. All these things are forbidden by the laws; for thus say the oracles: “Thou shalt not lie with mankind as with womankind.” 160 Lev. xviii. 22 “For such a one is accursed, and ye shall stone them with stones: they have wrought abomination.” 161 Lev. xx. 13 “Every one that lieth with a beast, slay ye him: he has wrought wickedness in his people.” 162 Ex. xxii. 19 “And if any one defile a married woman, slay ye them both: they have wrought wickedness; they are guilty; let them die.” 163 Lev. xx. 10; Deut. xxii. 22 And afterwards: “There shall not be a fornicator among the children of Israel, and there shall not be an whore among the daughters of Israel. Thou shalt not offer the hire of an harlot to the Lord thy God upon the altar, nor the price of a dog.” 164 Deut. xxiii. 17, 18 “For the vows arising from the hire of an harlot are not clean.” 165 Prov. xix. 13, LXX. These things the laws have forbidden, but they have honoured marriage, and have called it blessed, since God has blessed it who joined male and female together. 166 Gen. i. 28 And wise Solomon somewhere says: “A wife is suited to her husband by the Lord.” 167 Prov. xix. 14 And David says: “Thy wife is like a flourishing vine in the sides of thine house; thy children like olive-branches round about thy table. Behold, thus shall the man be blessed that feareth the Lord.” 168 Ps. cxxviii. 3, 4 Wherefore “marriage is honourable” 169 Heb. xiii. 4 and comely, and the begetting of children pure, for there is no evil in that which is good. Therefore neither is the natural purgation abominable before God, who has ordered it to happen to women within the space of thirty days for their advantage and healthful state, who do less move about, and keep usually at home in the house. Nay, moreover, even in the Gospel, when the woman with the perpetual purgation of blood 170 Matt ix. 22 touched the saving border of the Lord’s garment in hope of being healed, He was not angry at her, nor did complain of her at all; but, on the contrary, He healed her, saying, “Thy faith hath saved thee.” When the natural purgations do appear in the wives, let not their husbands approach them, out of regard to the children to be begotten; for the law has forbidden it, for it says: “Thou shalt not come near thy wife when she is in her separation.” 171 Lev. xviii. 19; Ezek. xviii. 6. Nor, indeed, let them frequent their wives’ company when they are with child. 172 [But if this be otherwise done, it may be well to compare Lactantius as to a question of actual crime. See p. 190, n. 1, supra.] For they do this not for the begetting of children, but for the sake of pleasure. Now a lover of God ought not to be a lover of pleasure.
[28] Ὅθεν τὰ τοιαῦτα περιϊστάμενοι παρατηρήματα φεύγετε, ἀγαπητοί: ἑλληνικὰ γὰρ τυγχάνει. Οὔτε γὰρ τὸν τεθνεῶτα βδελυσσόμεθα, ὡς ἐκεῖνοι, ἐλπίζοντες αὐτὸν πάλιν ἀναβιῶναι, οὔτε τὴν νόμιμον μίξιν κακίζομεν: ἔθος γὰρ αὐτοῖς τὰ τοιαῦτα ἀσεβεῖν. Θεοῦ γὰρ γνώμῃ ἀνδρὸς καὶ γυναικὸς συνέλευσις γίνεται ἡ μετὰ δικαιοσύνης: ὁ ποιήσας γὰρ ἀπ' ἀρχῆς ἄρσεν καὶ θῆλυ ἐποίησεν αὐτοὺς, καὶ εὐλόγησεν αὐτοὺς καὶ εἶπεν: «Αὐξάνεσθε καὶ πληθύνεσθε καὶ πληρώσατε τὴν γῆν.» Εἰ τοίνυν Θεοῦ βουλήσει παραλλαγὴ σχημάτων γέγονεν πρὸς γένεσιν πλήθους, ἄρα κατὰ τὴν αὐτοῦ γνώμην καὶ ἡ συνέλευσις τοῦ ἄρρενος πρὸς τὸ θῆλυ, οὐκέτι δὲ καὶ ἡ παρὰ φύσιν βδελυκτὴ μῖξις ἢ ἡ παράνομος πρᾶξις, ἐχθρὰ Θεοῦ ὑπάρχουσα. Καὶ γὰρ παρὰ φύσιν ἐστὶν ἡ Σοδομιτῶν ἁμαρτία καὶ ἡ πρὸς ἄλογα, παράνομον δὲ μοιχεία καὶ πορνεία, ὧν δὴ τὰ μὲν ἀσεβήματα, τὰ δὲ ἀδικία καὶ τὸ τελευταῖον ἁμαρτήματα, οὐδέτερον δὲ αὐτῶν ἀτιμώρητον κατὰ τὴν οἰκείαν διάθεσιν. Οἵ τε γὰρ πρῶτοι διάλυσιν κόσμου μηχανῶνται, τὰ κατὰ φύσιν παρὰ φύσιν ἐπιχειροῦντες ποιεῖν: οἱ δὲ δεύτεροι οἱ μὲν ἀδικοῦσιν ἀλλοτρίους γάμους φθείροντες καὶ τὸ ὑπὸ Θεοῦ γενόμενον ἓν διαιροῦσιν εἰς δύο τούς τε παῖδας ὑπόπτους καὶ τὸν φυσικὸν ἄνδρα εὐεπιβούλευτον, ἥ τε πορνεία φθορὰ τῆς οἰκείας σαρκός ἐστί, οὐκ ἐπὶ παιδοποιΐᾳ γινομένη, ἀλλ' ἡδονῇ χαριζομένη τὸ πᾶν, ὅπερ ἐστὶν ἀκρασίας σύμβολον, ἀλλ' οὐκ ἀρετῆς σημεῖον. Ἀπηγόρευται δὲ τοῖς νόμοις ἅπαντα ταῦτα. Φησὶν γὰρ τὰ λόγια οὕτως: «Οὐ κοιμηθήσῃ μετὰ ἄρρενος κοίτην γυναικείαν, ἐπικατάρατος γὰρ ὁ τοιοῦτος καὶ λίθοις λιθοβολήσατε αὐτούς, βδέλυγμα ἐποίησαν: πάντα κοιμώμενον μετὰ κτήνους, ἀποκτείνατε αὐτόν, ἀνομίαν ἐποίησεν ἐν τῷ λαῷ: καὶ ἐάν τις γυναῖκα ὕπανδρον μιάνῃ, ἀποκτείνατε ἀμφοτέρους, ἀνομίαν ἐποίησαν, ἔνοχοί εἰσιν, ἀποθανέτωσαν.» Καὶ ἑξῆς: «Οὐκ ἔσται πορνεύων ἐν υἱοῖς Ἰσραήλ, καὶ οὐκ ἔσται πορνεύουσα ἀπὸ θυγατέρων Ἰσραήλ: οὐ προσοίσεις μίσθωμα πόρνης κυρίῳ τῷ Θεῷ σου ἐπὶ τὸ θυσιαστήριον οὔτε ἄλλαγμα κυνός: οὐ γὰρ ἁγναί, φησίν, εὐχαὶ ἐκ μισθώματος ἑταίρας.» Ταῦτα μὲν ἀπηγόρευσαν οἱ νόμοι, τὸν δὲ γάμον ἐσέμνυναν, εὐλογημένον αὐτὸν ἀποκαλέσαντες, ἐπειδὴ καὶ εὐλόγησεν αὐτὸν ὁ Θεὸς ὁ συζεύξας τὸ θῆλυ τῷ ἄρρενι. Λέγει δέ που καὶ ὁ σοφὸς Σολομών: «Παρὰ Κυρίου ἁρμόζεται γυνὴ ἀνδρί.» Καὶ ὁ Δαυὶδ λέγει: «Ἡ γυνή σου ὡς ἄμπελος εὐθηνοῦσα ἐν τοῖς κλίτεσι τῆς οἰκίας σου, οἱ υἱοί σου ὡς νεόφυτα ἐλαιῶν κύκλῳ τῆς τραπέζης σου: ἰδοὺ οὕτως εὐλογηθήσεται ἄνθρωπος ὁ φοβούμενος τὸν Κύριον.» Οὐκοῦν ὁ γάμος τίμιος καὶ σεμνὸς καὶ ἡ τῶν παίδων γένεσις καθαρά: οὐδὲν γὰρ κακὸν ἐν τῷ καλῷ ὑπάρχει. Οὔτε οὖν ἡ φυσικὴ κάθαρσις βδελυκτὴ Θεῷ, ὃς αὐτὴν ᾠκονόμησεν συμβαίνειν γυναιξὶν ἐν τριακονθημέρῳ συστάσεως χάριν καὶ εὐρῳστίας ἀκινητοτέραις ὑπαρχούσαις, ἅτε ἐν οἰκίᾳ καθημέναις τὸ πλεῖον. Οὐ μὴν δὲ ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐν τῷ Εὐαγγελίῳ ὁ Κύριος, τῆς αἱμορροούσης ἁψαμένης τοῦ σωτηρίου κρασπέδου ὑγείας χάριν, οὐκ ἠχθέσθη ἐπ' αὐτῇ, οὔτε μὴν ὅλως ᾐτιάσατο, τοὐναντίον δὲ καὶ ἰάσατο αὐτὴν φήσας: «Ἡ πίστις σου σέσωκέν σε.» Καὶ φυσικῶν μὲν φαινομένων ταῖς γυναιξὶν οἱ ἄνδρες μὴ συνερχέσθωσαν προνοίας ἕνεκεν τῶν γεννωμένων: ἀπεῖπεν γὰρ ὁ Νόμος: «Πρὸς γυναῖκα γάρ, φησίν, ἐν ἀφέδρῳ οὖσαν οὐ προσεγγιεῖς.» Μήτε μὴν ἐγκυμονούσαις ὁμιλείτωσαν αὐταῖς: οὐκ ἐπὶ παίδων γὰρ γενέσει τοῦτο ποιοῦσιν, ἀλλ' ἡδονῆς χάριν, οὐ δεῖ δὲ φιλήδονον τὸν φιλόθεον ὑπάρχειν.