Duties of church office-holders
806.
It is necessary, therefore, that the Church, as a city built upon a hill,
have an order approved of God, and good government.
807.
In particular, let the bishop, as chief, be heard in the things which he speaks;
and let the elders give heed that the things ordered be done.
808.
Let the deacons, going about, look after the bodies and the souls of the brethren,
and report to the bishop.
809.
Let all the rest of the brethren bear wrong patiently;
but if they wish judgment to be given concerning wrongs done to them,
let them be reconciled in presence of the elders;
and let the elders report the reconciliation to the bishop.
Marriage always honourable
810.
And let them inculcate marriage not only upon the young, yet also upon those advanced in years,
lest burning lust bring a plague upon the Church by reason of whoredom or adultery.
811.
For, above every other sin, the wickedness of adultery is hated by God,
because it not only destroys the person himself who sins,
yet those also who eat and associate with him.
812.
For it is like the madness of a dog,
because it has the nature of communicating its own madness.
813.
For the sake of chastity, therefore,
let not only the elders, yet even all, hasten to accomplish marriage,
for the sin of him who commits adultery necessarily comes upon all.
814.
Therefore, to urge the brethren to be chaste,
this is the first charity.
815.
For it is the healing of the soul,
because the nourishment of the body is rest.
Not forsaking the assembling of yourselves together
816.
Yet if you love your brethren, take nothing from them,
yet share with them such things as ye have.
817.
Feed the hungry;
give drink to the thirsty;
clothe the naked;
818.
visit the sick;
so far as you can, help those in prison;
819.
receive strangers gladly into your own abodes;
hate no one.
820.
And how you must be pious, your own mind will teach you, judging rightly.
The Book of Preachings CHAPTER TWENTY EIGHT
Divisions 821-855
PREACHINGS 3
821.
Yet before all else, if indeed I need say it to you, come together frequently,
if it were every hour, especially on the appointed days of meeting.
822.
|
|
|
For if you do this, you are within a wall of safety,
for disorderliness is the beginning of perdition.
823.
Let no one therefore forsake the assembly on the ground of envy towards a brother.
824.
For if any one of you forsake the assembly,
he shall be regarded as of those who scatter the Church of Christ, and shall be cast out with adulterers.
825.
For as an adulterer, under the influence of the spirit that is in him,
he separates himself on some pretext, and gives place to the wicked one against himself,
—a sheep for the stealing, as one found outside the fold.
Hear the bishop
826.
However, hear your bishop, and do not weary of giving all honour to him;
knowing that, by showing it to him, it is borne to Christ, and from Christ it is borne to God;
and to him who offers it, is requited manifold.
827.
Honour, therefore, the throne of Christ.
828.
For you are commanded even to honour the chair of Moses,
and that, although they who occupy it are accounted sinners.
829.
And now I have said enough to you;
and I deem it superfluous to say to him how he is to live unblameably,
since he is an approved disciple of Him who taught me also.
Various duties of Christians
830.
Yet, brethren, there are some things that you must not wait to hear,
yet must consider of yourselves what is reasonable.
831.
Zacchæus alone having given himself up wholly to labour for you,
and needing sustenance, and not being able to attend to his own affairs,
how can he procure necessary support?
832.
Is it not reasonable that you are to take forethought for his living?
Not waiting for his asking you, for this is the part of a beggar.
833.
But he will rather die of hunger than submit to do this.
834.
And shall not you incur punishment, not considering that the workman is worthy of his hire?
835.
And let no one say: Is, then, the word sold which was freely given?
836.
Far be it,
for if any one has the means of living, and takes anything, he sells the word;
837.
|
|
|
yet if he who has not takes support in order to live
—as the Lord also took at supper and among His friends, having nothing,
though He alone is the owner of all things— he sins not.
838.
Therefore suitably honour elders,
catechists, [instructors]
useful deacons,
widows who have lived well,
orphans as children of the Church.
839.
But wherever there is need of any provision for an emergency, contribute all together.
840.
Be kind one to another,
not shrinking from the endurance of anything whatever for your own salvation.
Ordination
841.
And having thus spoken, he placed his hand upon Zacchæus, saying,
O Ruler and Lord of all, Father and God, guard the shepherd with the flock.
842.
You are the cause,
You are the power.
843.
We are that which is helped;
You are the helper,
844.
the physician, the saviour, the wall,
the life, the hope, the refuge,
the joy, the expectation, the rest.
845.
In a word, You are all things to us.
846.
In order to the eternal attainment of salvation,
You co-operate, preserve, protect.
847.
You can do all things,
for You are the Ruler of rulers, the Lord of lords, the Governor of kings.
848.
Give power to the president to loose what ought to be loosed, to bind what ought to be bound.
Make him wise.
849.
Protect, as by His name, the Church of Your Christ as a fair bride.
For Yours is eternal glory.
850.
Praise to the Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost to all ages.
Amen.
Baptisms
851.
And having thus spoken, he afterwards said:
Whoever of you wish to be baptized, begin from tomorrow to fast,
and have hands laid upon you day by day, and inquire about what matters you please,
for I mean still to remain with you ten days.
852.
And after three days, having begun to baptize, he called me, and Aquila, and Nicetas, and said to us:
853.
As I am going to set out for Tyre after seven days, I wish you to go away this very day,
and to lodge secretly with Bernice the Canaanite, the daughter of Justa,
|
|
|
and to learn from her, and write accurately to me what Simon is about.
854.
For this is of great consequence to me, that I may prepare myself accordingly,
therefore depart straightway in peace,
855.
And leaving him baptizing, as he commanded, we preceded him to Tyre of Phœnicia.
Дата добавления: 2019-02-12; просмотров: 217; Мы поможем в написании вашей работы! |
Мы поможем в написании ваших работ!