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a clear confession from them, so that, whenever they change to a flesh-loving and pleasure-seeking life, to subject them to the penance of fornicators. 199.20 Whatever women, being in heresy, confessed virginity, then after this chose marriage instead, I do not think it is necessary that these be condemned. “For whatever the law says, it speaks to those under the law.” But those who have not yet come under the yoke of Christ do not even know the legislation of the Master. Therefore they are acceptable to the Church, along with all and having forgiveness for these things from faith in Christ. And in general the things that happened in the life of a catechumen are not brought to account. But these, clearly, the Church does not receive without baptism. Therefore the privileges of birth are most necessary for these. 199.21 If a man cohabiting with his wife, whenever, not being content with the marriage, falls into fornication, we judge such a one a fornicator and we extend his time in penance for a longer period; however we do not have a canon to subject him to the charge of adultery, if the sin is committed with one free from marriage; because the adulteress indeed “Being defiled,” it says, “she shall be defiled,” and she shall not return to her husband, and “He who keeps an adulteress is foolish and impious”; however, the one who has fornicated will not be excluded from cohabitation with his own wife. So the wife will receive her husband returning from fornication, but the husband will send away the defiled one from his own house. And the reason for these things is not easy, but the custom has so prevailed. 199.22 Those who have wives by abduction, if indeed they have taken away those who were previously betrothed to others, it is not necessary to receive them before they have been taken from them and placed under the authority of those originally betrothed, whether they might wish to take them or to stand away. But if one should take a woman who is unbetrothed, she must be taken away and restored to her own family, and it is to be left to the judgment of her family, whether they be parents or brothers or whoever are in charge of the girl, and if they should choose to give her over to him, the cohabitation is to stand, but if they refuse, not to use force. However, the one having a wife from seduction, whether secret or more violent, it is necessary for him to acknowledge the penance for fornication. And the penance for fornicators is defined in four years. It is necessary in the first to be cast out of the prayers and for them to weep at the door of the church, in the second to be received to hearing, in the third to repentance, in the fourth to standing with the people abstaining from the offering, then for them to be permitted communion of the good. 199.23 And concerning those marrying two sisters or being married to two brothers, a short letter has been issued by us, a copy of which we have sent to your reverence. But he who has taken his own brother's wife will not be received before he separates from her. 199.24 A widow who has been enrolled in the number of the widows, that is, one served by the Church, the Apostle judged should be disregarded if she marries. But for a man who is a widower no law is imposed, but sufficient for such a one is the penance for digamists. However, a widow who has become sixty years old, if she should choose to live with a husband again, she will not be deemed worthy of the communion of the good, until she ceases from the passion of impurity. If, however, we enroll her before sixty years, the fault is ours, not the woman's. 199.25 He who holds as a wife the one corrupted by him will undergo the penance for the corruption, but he will be permitted to have the woman. 199.26 Fornication is not marriage, nor even the beginning of marriage. Therefore, if it is possible for those joined in fornication to be separated, this is best. But if they love the cohabitation in every way, let them recognize the penance for fornication, but let them be permitted, lest something worse should happen. 199.27 Concerning the presbyter who has been entangled through ignorance in an unlawful marriage, I have determined what was necessary; to have a share of his seat, but to abstain from the other functions. For sufficient for such a one is the pardon. But to bless another, him his own

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παρ' αὐτῶν ὁμολογίαν ἐναργῆ, ὥστε, ἐπειδὰν μετατίθενται πρὸς τὸν φιλόσαρκον καὶ ἡδονικὸν βίον, ὑπάγειν αὐτοὺς τῷ τῶν πορνευόντων ἐπιτιμίῳ. 199.20 Ὅσαι γυναῖκες, ἐν αἱρέσει οὖσαι, παρθενίαν ὡμο λόγησαν, εἶτα μετὰ ταῦτα γάμον ἀνθείλοντο, οὐχ ἡγοῦμαι χρῆναι καταδικάζεσθαι ταύτας. «Ὅσα γὰρ ὁ νόμος λέγει, τοῖς ἐν τῷ νόμῳ λαλεῖ.» Αἱ δὲ μήπω ὑπελθοῦσαι τὸν ζυγὸν τοῦ Χριστοῦ οὐδὲ τὴν νομοθεσίαν ἐπιγινώσκουσι τοῦ ∆εσπότου. Ὥστε δεκταί εἰσι τῇ Ἐκκλησίᾳ, μετὰ πάντωνκαὶ τὴν ἐπὶ τούτοις ἄφεσιν ἔχουσαι ἐκ τῆς πίστεως τῆς εἰς Χριστόν. Καὶ καθόλου τὰ ἐν τῷ κατηχουμένῳ βίῳ γενόμενα εἰς εὐθύνας οὐκ ἄγεται. Τούτους δέ, δηλονότι, ἄνευ βαπτίσματος ἡ Ἐκκλησία οὐ παραδέχεται. Ὥστε ἀναγκαιότατον ἐπὶ τούτοις τὰ πρεσβεῖα τῆς γενέσεως. 199.21 Εἰ ἀνὴρ γυναικὶ συνοικῶν, ἐπειδάν, μὴ ἀρκεσθεὶς τῷ γάμῳ, εἰς πορνείαν ἐκπέσῃ, πόρνον κρίνομεν τὸν τοιοῦτον καὶ πλεῖον αὐτὸν παρατείνομεν ἐν τοῖς ἐπιτιμίοις· οὐ μέντοι ἔχομεν κανόνα τῷ τῆς μοιχείας αὐτὸν ὑπαγαγεῖν ἐγκλήματι, ἐὰν εἰς ἐλευθέραν γάμου ἡ ἁμαρτία γένηται· διότι ἡ μοιχαλὶς μὲν «Μιαινομένη, φησί, μιανθήσεται», καὶ οὐκ ἀναστρέψει πρὸς τὸν ἄνδρα αὐτῆς, καὶ «Ὁ κατέχων μοιχαλίδα ἄφρων καὶ ἀσεβής»· ὁ μέντοι πορ νεύσας οὐκ ἀποκλεισθήσεται τῆς πρὸς τὴν γυναῖκα ἑαυτοῦ συνοικήσεως. Ὥστε ἡ μὲν γυνὴ ἀπὸ πορνείας ἐπανιόντα τὸν ἄνδρα αὐτῆς παραδέξεται, ὁ δὲ ἀνὴρ τὴν μιανθεῖσαν τῶν οἴκων ἑαυτοῦ ἀποπέμψει. Καὶ τούτων δὲ ὁ λόγος οὐ ῥᾴδιος, ἡ δὲ συνήθεια οὕτω κεκράτηκε. 199.22 Τοὺς ἐξ ἁρπαγῆς ἔχοντας γυναῖκας, εἰ μὲν ἄλλοις προμεμνηστευμένας εἶεν ἀφῃρημένοι, οὐ πρότερον χρὴ παραδέχεσθαι πρὶν ἢ ἀφελέσθαι αὐτῶν καὶ ἐπ' ἐξουσίᾳ τῶν ἐξ ἀρχῆς μνηστευσαμένων ποιῆσαι, εἴτε βούλοιντο λαβεῖν αὐτὰς εἴτε ἀποστῆναι. Εἰ δὲ σχολάζουσάν τις λάβοι, ἀφαιρεῖσθαι μὲν δεῖ καὶ τοῖς οἰκείοις ἀποκαθιστᾶν, ἐπιτρέπειν δὲ τῇ γνώμῃ τῶν οἰκείων, εἴτε γονεῖς εἶεν εἴτε ἀδελφοὶ εἴτε οἱτινεσοῦν προεστῶτες τῆς κόρης, κἂν μὲν ἕλωνται αὐτῷ παραδοῦναι, ἵστασθαι τὸ συνοικέσιον, ἐὰν δὲ ἀνανεύσωσι, μὴ βιάζεσθαι. Τὸν μέντοι ἐκ διαφθορᾶς, εἴτε λαθραίας εἴτε βιαιοτέρας, γυναῖκα ἔχοντα ἀνάγκη τὸ τῆς πορνείας ἐπιγνῶναι ἐπιτίμιον. Ἔστι δὲ ἐν τέσσαρσιν ἔτεσιν ὡρισμένη τοῖς πορνεύουσιν ἡ ἐπιτίμησις. Χρὴ τῷ πρώτῳ ἐκβάλλεσθαι τῶν προσευχῶν καὶ προσκλαίειν αὐτοὺς τῇ θύρᾳ τῆς ἐκκλησίας, τῷ δευτέρῳ δεχθῆναι εἰς ἀκρόασιν, τῷ τρίτῳ εἰς μετάνοιαν, τῷ τετάρτῳ εἰς σύστασιν μετὰ τοῦ λαοῦ ἀπεχομένους τῆς προσφορᾶς, εἶτα αὐτοὺς ἐπι τρέπεσθαι τὴν κοινωνίαν τοῦ ἀγαθοῦ. 199.23 Περὶ δὲ τῶν δύο ἀδελφὰς γαμούντων ἢ ἀδελφοῖς δυσὶ γαμουμένων ἐπιστολίδιον ἡμῖν ἐκπεφώνηται οὗ τὸ ἀντίγραφον ἀπεστείλαμέν σου τῇ εὐλαβείᾳ. Ὁ δὲ ἀδελφοῦ ἰδίου γυναῖκα λαβὼν οὐ πρότερον δεχθήσεται πρὶν ἀπο στῆναι αὐτῆς. 199.24 Χήραν τὴν καταλεγεῖσαν εἰς τὸν ἀριθμὸν τῶν χηρῶν, τουτέστι τὴν διακονουμένην ὑπὸ τῆς Ἐκκλησίας, ἔκρινεν ὁ Ἀπόστολος γαμουμένην παρορᾶσθαι. Ἀνδρὶ δὲ χηρεύσαντι οὐδεὶς ἐπίκειται νόμος, ἀλλ' ἱκανὸν τῷ τοιούτῳ τὸ τῶν διγάμων ἐπιτίμιον. Ἡ μέντοι χήρα ἑξη κονταετὴς γεγονυῖα, ἐὰν ἕληται πάλιν ἀνδρὶ συνοικεῖν, οὐ καταξιωθήσεται τῆς τοῦ ἀγαθοῦ κοινωνίας, ἕως ἂν τοῦ πάθους τῆς ἀκαθαρσίας παύσηται. Ἐὰν μέντοι πρὸ ἑξή κοντα ἐτῶν ἀριθμήσωμεν αὐτήν, ἡμέτερον τὸ ἔγκλημα, οὐ τοῦ γυναίου. 199.25 Ὁ τὴν διεφθαρμένην ὑφ' ἑαυτοῦ εἰς γυναῖκα κατέχων τὸ μὲν ἐπὶ τῇ φθορᾷ ἐπιτίμιον ὑποστήσεται, τὴν δὲ γυναῖκα ἔχειν συγχωρηθήσεται. 199.26 Ἡ πορνεία γάμος οὐκ ἔστιν, ἀλλ' οὐδὲ γάμου ἀρχή. Ὥστε, ἐὰν ᾖ δυνατὸν τοὺς κατὰ πορνείαν συναπτομένους χωρίζεσθαι, τοῦτο κράτιστον. Ἐὰν δὲ στέργωσιν ἐκ παντὸς τρόπου τὸ συνοικέσιον, τὸ μὲν τῆς πορνείας ἐπιτίμιον γνωριζέτωσαν, ἀφιέσθωσαν δέ, ἵνα μὴ χεῖρόν τι γένηται. 199.27 Περὶ τοῦ πρεσβυτέρου τοῦ κατ' ἄγνοιαν ἀθέσμῳ γάμῳ περιπαρέντος ὥρισα ἃ ἐχρῆν· καθέδρας μὲν μετέχειν, τῶν δὲ λοιπῶν ἐνεργειῶν ἀπέχεσθαι. Ἀρκετὸν γὰρ τῷ τοιούτῳ ἡ συγγνώμη. Εὐλογεῖν δὲ ἕτερον, τὸν τὰ οἰκεῖα