[Concerning Drunkards.]

XLIV. Now, when you are invited to their memorials, do you feast with good order, and the fear of God, as disposed to intercede for those that are departed. For since you are the presbyters and deacons of Christ, you ought always to be sober, both among yourselves and among others, that so you may be able to warn the unruly. Now the Scripture says, “The men in power are passionate. But let them not drink wine, lest by drinking they forget wisdom, and are not able to judge aright.”  195  Prov. xxxi. 4, LXX. Wherefore  196  The Syriac, the Coptic, and the Oxford ms. add, “the bishops.” The Coptic omits “the deacons.” both the presbyters and the deacons are those of authority in the Church next to God Almighty and His beloved Son.  197  The Coptic adds, “Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit.” We say this, not they are not to drink at all, otherwise it would be to the reproach of what God has made for cheerfulness, but that they be not disordered with wine. For the Scripture does not say, Do not drink wine; but what says it? “Drink not wine to drunkenness;” and again, “Thorns spring up in the hand of the drunkard.”  198  Prov. xxiii.; Ecclus. xxxi. 25–31; Eph. v. 18; Prov. xxvi. 9. Nor do we say this only to those of the clergy, but also to every lay Christian, upon whom the name of our Lord Jesus Christ is called. For to them also it is said, “Who hath woe? who hath sorrow? who hath uneasiness? who hath babbling? who hath red eyes? who hath wounds without cause? Do not these things belong to those that tarry long at the wine, and that go to seek where drinking meetings are?”  199  Prov. xxiii. 29, 30.

[44] Ἐν δὲ ταῖς μνείαις αὐτῶν καλούμενοι μετὰ εὐταξίας ἑστιᾶσθε καὶ φόβου Θεοῦ, ὡς δυνάμενοι καὶ πρεσβεύειν ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν τῶν μεταστάντων. Πρεσβύτεροι γὰρ καὶ διάκονοι Χριστοῦ ὑπάρχοντες, νήφειν ὀφείλετε πάντοτε καὶ πρὸς ἑαυτοὺς καὶ πρὸς ἑτέρους, ἵνα δύνησθε τοὺς ἀτακτοῦντας νουθετεῖν. Λέγει δὲ ἡ γραφή: »Οἱ δυνάσται θυμώδεις εἰσίν: οἶνον μὴ πινέτωσαν, ἵνα μὴ πιόντες ἐπιλάθωνται τῆς σοφίας καὶ ὀρθὰ κρίνειν οὐ μὴ δύνωνται.« Οὐκοῦν καὶ οἱ πρεσβύτεροι καὶ οἱ διάκονοι μετὰ τὸν Θεὸν τὸν παντοκράτορα καὶ τὸν ἠγαπημένον αὐτοῦ Υἱὸν δυνάσται ὑπάρχουσι τῆς Ἐκκλησίας. Τοῦτο δέ φαμεν, οὐχ ἵνα μὴ πίνωσιν, ἄλλως γὰρ ἔστιν ὑβρίσαι τὸ ὑπὸ Θεοῦ γενόμενον εἰς εὐφροσύνην, ἀλλ' ἵνα μὴ παροινῶσιν. Οὐ γὰρ εἶπεν ἡ γραφὴ μὴ πίνειν οἶνον, ἀλλὰ τί φησιν; Μὴ πίνειν οἶνον εἰς μέθην. Καὶ πάλιν: »Ἄκανθαι φύονται ἐν χειρὶ μεθύσου.« Τοῦτο δὲ οὐ περὶ τῶν κληρικῶν μόνον φαμέν, ἀλλὰ καὶ περὶ παντὸς λαϊκοῦ χριστιανοῦ, ἐφ' οὑ ἐπικέκληται τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ. Καὶ αὐτοῖς γὰρ εἴρηται: »Τίνι οὐαί; Τίνι θόρυβος; Τίνι ἀηδίαι καὶ λέσχαι; Τίνος πελιδνοὶ οἱ ὀφθαλμοί; Τίνι συντρίμματα διακενῆς; Οὐ τῶν χρονιζόντων ἐν οἴνῳ καὶ κατασκοπουμένων, ποῦ πότοι γίνονται;«