Canons 20-22 deal with fast-days, daily services in
church, and the fast of the passover-week. Canon 23 seems as if it
closed the series, speaking, as it does, of "our brethren the bishops"
who in their cities have made regulations "according to the commands
of our fathers the apostles": "let none of our successors alter them;
because it saith that the teaching is greater than the sea, and hath
no end." We pass on, however, to regulations about the sick (24) who
are to be visited by the bishop, "because it is a great thing for the
sick that the high-priest should visit them (for the shadow of Peter
healed the sick)." Canons 25-27 deal again with prayers and
church-services. The "seven hours" are specified, with reasons for
their observance (25): attendance at sermons is urged (26), "for the
Lord is in the place where his lordship is proclaimed" (comp.
_Didache_ 4, part of the _Two Ways_). When there are no prayers in
church, reading at home is enjoined (27): "let the sun each morning
see the book upon thy knees" (comp. Ath. _Ad virg._, S 12, "Let the
sun when he ariseth see the book in thy hands"). Prayer must be
preceded by the washing of the hands. "No believer must take food
before communicating, especially on fast-days": only believers may
communicate (28). The sacred elements must be guarded, "lest anything
fall into the cup, and it be a sin unto death for the presbyters." No
crumb must be dropped, "lest an evil spirit get possession of it."
Canons 30-35 contain various rules, and specially deal with suppers
for the poor (i.e. _agapae_) and memorial feasts. Then we have a
prayer for the offering of first-fruits (36); a direction that
ministers shall wear fair garments at "the mysteries" (37); and a
command to watch during the night of the resurrection (38). The last
canon hereupon passes into a general exhortation to right living,
which forms a sixth part of the whole book. In Riedel's translation we
read this for the first time as a connected whole. It falls into two
parts, and describes, first, the true life of ordinary Christians,
warning them against an empty profession, and laying down many
precepts of morality; and then it addresses itself to the "ascete" who
"wishes to belong to the rank of the angels," and who lives a life of
solitude and poverty. He is encouraged by an exposition, on somewhat
strange lines, of the temptations of our Lord, and is specially warned
against spiritual pride and contempt of other men. The book closes
with an appeal for love and mutual service, based on the parables in
St Matthew xxv.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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