order, as the night, the day, the sun, the moon, the stars, the elements, the seasons, the months, the weeks, the days, and the hours, and are subservient to the uses appointed them, according to that which is said, "Thou hast set them a bound which they shall not pass." And again, concerning the sea, "I have set bounds thereto, and have encompassed it with bars and gates, and I said to it, Hitherto shalt thou come, and thou shalt go no farther." How much more ought ye not to venture to remove those things which we, according to God's will, have determined for you? But because many think this a small matter, and venture to confound the orders and to remove the ordination which belongs to them severally, snatching to themselves dignities which were never given them, and allowing themselves to bestow that authority in a tyrannical manner which they have not themselves, and thereby provoke God to anger (as did the followers of Corah and King Uzziah, who, having no authority, usurped the high-priesthood without commission from God; and the former were burnt with fire, and the latter was struck with a leprosy in his forehead), and provoke Christ Jesus to anger, who has made this constitution, and also grieve the Holy Spirit, and make void his testimony. Therefore foreknowing the danger that hangs over those who do such things, and the neglect about the sacrifices and eucharistical offices which will arise from their being impiously offered by those who ought not to offer them; who think the honour of the high-priesthood, which is an imitation of the great High-priest Jesus Christ, our King, to be a matter of sport, we have found it necessary to give you warning in this matter also; for some are already turned aside after their own vanity. We say that Moses, the servant of God ("to whom God spake face to face, as if a man spake to his friend;" to whom he said, "I know thee above all men ;" to whom he spake directly, and not by obscure methods, or dreams, or angels, or riddles), this person when he made constitutions and divine laws, distinguished what things were to be performed by the highpriests, what by the priests, and what by the Levites, distributing to every one his proper and suitable office in the divine service. And those things which are allotted for the high-priests to do, those might not be meddled with by the priests; and what things were allotted to the priests, the Levites might not meddle with; but every one observed those ministrations which were written down and appointed for them. And if any one would meddle beyond the tradition death was his punishment. And Saul's example does show this most plainly, who, thinking he might offer sacrifice without the prophet and high-priest Samuel, drew upon himself a sin and a curse without remedy. Nor did even his having anointed him king discourage the prophet. But God showed the same by a more visible effect in the case of Uzziah, when he, without delay, exacted the punishment due to this transgression, and he that madly coveted after the high-priesthood was rejected from his kingdom also. As to those things that have happened amongst us, you yourselves are not ignorant of them; for ye know, un

doubtedly, that those that are by us named bishops, and presbyters, and deacons, were made by prayer and by the laying on of hands; and that by the difference of their names is showed the difference of their employments. For not every one that will is ordained, as the case was in that spurious and counterfeit priesthood of the calves under Jeroboam, but he only who is called of God. For if there were no rule or distinction of orders it would suffice to perform all the offices under one name. But being taught by the Lord the series of things we distributed the functions of the high-priesthood to the bishops, those of the priesthood to the presbyters, and the ministration under them both to the deacons, that the divine worship might be performed in purity. For it is not lawful for a deacon to offer the sacrifice, or to baptize, or to give either the greater or the lesser blessing. Nor may a presbyter perform ordination, for it is not agreeable to holiness to have this order perverted. For, "God is not the God of confusion" that the subordinate persons should tyrannically assume to themselves the functions belonging to their superiors, forming a new scheme of laws to their own mischief, not knowing that "tis hard for them to kick against the pricks;" for such as these do not fight against us, or against the bishops, but against the Universal Bishop, and the High-priest of the Father, Jesus Christ our Lord. High-priests, priests, and Levites were ordained by Moses, the most beloved of God. By our Saviour were we apostles, thirteen in number, ordained; and by the apostles I James and I Clement, and others with us, were ordained, that we may not make the catalogue of all those bishops over again. And in common presbyters, and deacons, and subdeacons, and readers, were ordained by all of us. The great High-priest, therefore, who is so by nature, is Christ, the Onlybegotten; not having snatched that honour to himself, but having been appointed such by the Father, who being made Man for our sake, and offering the spiritual sacrifice to his God and Father before his suffering, gave it us alone in charge to do this, although there were others with us who had believed in him. But he that believes is not presently appointed a priest, or obtains the dignity of the high-priesthood; but after his ascension we offered, according to his constitution, the pure and unbloody sacrifice, and ordained bishops, and presbyters, and deacons, seven in number. One of which was Stephen, that blessed martyr, who was not inferior to us as to his pious disposition of mind towards God; who showed so great piety towards God, by his faith and love towards our Lord Jesus Christ, as to give his life for him, and was stoned to death by the Jews, the murderers of the Lord. Yet still this so great and good a man, who was fervent in spirit, who saw Christ on the right-hand of God, and the gates of heaven opened, does nowhere appear to have exercised functions which did not appertain to his office of a deacon, nor to have offered the sacrifices, nor to have laid hands upon any, but kept his order of a deacon unto the end. For so it became him, who was a martyr for Christ, to preserve good order, But if some do blame Philip, our deacon, and

Ananias, our faithful brother; that the one did baptize the eunuch, and the other me, Paul; these men do not understand what we say. For we have affirmed only that no one snatches the sacerdotal dignity to himself, but either receives it from God, as Melchisedech and Job, or from the high-priest, as Aaron from Moses. Wherefore Philip and Ananias did not constitute themselves, but were appointed by Christ, the High-priest of that God to whom no being is to be compared.

THE

ECCLESIASTICAL

OF THE SAME

CANONS

HOLY APOSTLES.

I. Let a bishop be ordained by two or three bishops.

II. A presbyter by one bishop, as also a deacon, and the rest of the clergy.

III. If any bishop or presbyter, otherwise than our Lord has ordained concerning the sacrifice, offer other things at the altar of God, as honey, milk, or strong beer instead of wine, any necessaries, or birds, or animals, or pulse, otherwise than is ordained, let him be deprived; excepting grains of new corn, or ears of wheat, or bunches of grapes, in their season.

IV. For it is not lawful to offer anything besides these at the altar [and oil for the holy lamp, and incense in the time of the oblation].

V. But let all other fruits be sent to the house of the bishop, as first-fruits to him, and to the presbyters; but not to the altar. Now it is plain that the bishop and presbyters are to divide them to the deacons, and to the rest of the clergy.

VI. Let not a bishop, a priest, or a deacon, cast off his own wife, under pretence of piety; but if he does cast her off, let him be suspended. If he go on in it, let him be deprived.

VII. Let not a bishop, a priest, or deacon, undertake the cares of this world; but if he do, let him be deprived.

VIII. If any bishop, or presbyter, or deacon, shall celebrate the holyday of the Passover, before the vernal equinox, with the Jews, let him be deprived.

IX. If any bishop, or presbyter, or deacon, or any one of the catalogue of the priesthood, when the oblation is over, does not communicate, let him give his reason; and if it be just, let him be forgiven, but if he does not do it, let him be suspended, as becoming the cause of damage to the people, and occasioning a suspicion against him that offered, as of one that did not rightly offer.

X. All those of the faithful that enter into the holy church of God, and hear the sacred Scriptures, but do not stay during prayer, and the holy communion, must be suspended, as causing disorder in the church.

XI. If anyone, even in the house, prays with a person excommunicated, let him also be suspended.

XII. If any clergyman prays with one deprived, as with a clergyman, let himself also be deprived.

XIII. If any clergyman or layman who is suspended, or ought not to be received, goes away, and is received in another city, without commendatory letters, let both those who received him, and he that was received, be suspended. But if he be already suspended, let his suspension be lengthened, as lying to, and deceiving the church of God.

XIV. A bishop ought not to leave his own parish and leap to another, although the multitude should compel him [unless there be any sufficient cause, forcing him to do so; as in the case when he can bring greater advantage to the inhabitants of that other place, by the word of piety; and that not of himself, but by the determination of many bishops, and upon the greatest entreaty].

XV. If any presbyter, or deacon, or any one of the catalogue of the clergy leaves his own parish, and goes to another, and entirely removing himself, continues in that other parish, without the consent of his own bishop, him we command no longer to go on in his ministry; especially in case his bishop calls upon him to return, and he does not obey, but continues in his disorder. However, let him communicate there as a layman.

XVI. But if the bishop, with whom he is, undervalues the deprivation decreed against them, and receives them as clergymen, let him be suspended, as a teacher of disorder.

XVII. He who has been twice married after his baptism, or has had a concubine, cannot be made a bishop, or presbyter, or deacon, or indeed any one of the sacerdotal catalogue.

XVIII. He who has married a divorced woman, or an harlot, or a servant, or one belonging to the theatre, cannot be either a bishop, priest, or deacon, or indeed any one of the sacerdotal catalogue.

XIX. He who has married two sisters, or his brother's or sister's daughter, cannot be a clergyman.

XX. Let a clergyman who becomes a surety be deprived.

XXI. An eunuch, if he be such by the injury of men, or his testicles were taken away in the persecution, or he was born such, and yet is worthy of episcopacy, let him be made a bishop.

XXII. He who has disabled himself, let him not be made a clergyman; for he is a self-murderer, and an enemy to the creation of God.

XXIII. If anyone who is of the clergy disables himself, let him be deprived, for he is a murderer of himself.

XXIV. A layman who disables himself, let him be separated [three years], for he lays a snare for his own life.

XXV. A bishop, or presbyter, or deacon, who is taken in fornication, or perjury, or stealing, let him be deprived [but not suspended; for the Scripture says, "Thou shalt not avenge twice for the same crime by affliction].

XXVI. In like manner also as to the rest of the clergy.